Paul Martin Building
The Paul Martin Building, also known as the Edifice Paul Martin, lends its beautiful architecture to Windsor’s Ouellette Avenue. It was designed by George Masson and Hugh P. Sheppard, a Windsor-born architect who also designed the YMCA and Windsor City
Hall. Currently federally-owned, it has housed Windsorites working in institutions including Canada Post, the Canada Revenue Agency and the Canadian Border Services Agency.
Completed in 1934, the location of the 6-storey Art Deco building was chosen to establish the federal government’s authority and importance on the Windsor border. Over time, however, the building’s facade became damaged and dangerous until the Federal Government restored the building, with work finishing in 2017.
The building was renamed the Paul Martin Building in 1994 to honour the achievements of Windsorite Paul Martin (Senior), notable Canadian politician and diplomat and father of Prime Minister Paul Martin Jr. When the Federal government’s operations moved out of the building, the building was put up for sale.After plans for the building to become the new home of the University of Windsor’s Law school fell through, the building was acquired by the City of Windsor for $10 and will become the temporary home of the central branch of the Windsor Public Library some time in late 2019 or early 2020.
Sources:
The Star’s View: Saving the Paul Martin Building
University decisively rules out Paul Martin Building for law school
City to take ownership of Paul Martin building to temporarily house downtown library