The Arlington Apartments or The Arlington was the first

apartment building An apartment (American English, Canadian English), flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), tenement ( Scots English), or unit (Australian English) is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) ...

to open in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Alberta, Canada, in 1909. The 49 suite, five-storey redbrick building stood at 100 Avenue and 106 Street until 2005 when it was destroyed by fire. The building was a prime example of Edmonton's pre-Great War

building boom Business cycles are intervals of general expansion followed by recession in economic performance. The changes in economic activity that characterize business cycles have important implications for the welfare of the general population, governmen ...

that managed to survive into the 21st century. The building was financed by a consortium of local business leaders who formed the Arlington Apartment Company. Among the original owners were George Swaisland, an Ontario-born banker who managed the Molson's Bank in Edmonton and Patrick O. Dwyer, president of Northern Investment Agency Limited. Building construction was supervised by Robert Grant of Winnipeg; it was erected between July and December 1909 at a cost of $130,000. The building was purchased by the Northern Investment Agency in 1932 for $85,000. In 1943 G. Patrick Ryan purchased it and founded Arlington Apartment Limited. The building was a popular home for professionals and artists until the 1970s. By the 1980s residents were complaining of problems with

prostitution Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...

. A fire in 1990 damaged but did not threaten the building. The building was designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1995, and a Municipal Historic Resource in 1998. After the 2005 fire, there was an acrimonious confrontation between Edmonton's city government and the owner of the site, Saraswati P. Singh. The City demanded that the original facade (including the original bricks) be maintained during any reconstruction. In 2007, Singh agreed to incorporate three brick walls of the building into a 20-storey condominium project. In 2008, however, the site's architect said that that plan was no longer feasible, and asked for permission to demolish the ruins and reconstruct the facade with new bricks. In September 2008, the City finally give the owners permission to tear down the building. In mid-November demolition began.

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* * *{{cite web , url=http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=6bed694d-90ee-4fe1-a37c-abf67388e58b , title= Arlington Apartments can't be saved, owner says , accessdate=2008-04-15 , author= Ruttan, Susan , date= April 10, 2008 , work=

Edmonton Journal The ''Edmonton Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Postmedia Network. History The ''Journal'' was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunn ...

, publisher=Canwest Global Apartment buildings in Canada Residential buildings completed in 1909 Provincial Historic Resources in Edmonton Municipal Historic Resources of Edmonton Demolished buildings and structures in Alberta Buildings and structures demolished in 2008 Buildings and structures in Edmonton 2000s fires in North America 2005 fires Burned buildings and structures in Canada Residential buildings in Alberta