Iconic Legate’s Building Across from City Hall to Reopen as Restaurant and Banquet Facility
Exterior renovations are underway at Owen Sound’s former Legate’s building, which is being converted into a restaurant and banquet hall, with completion expected before winter.
Work is underway to convert one of downtown Owen Sound’s most prominent historic buildings into a restaurant and banquet hall, with completion expected before winter, according to the site’s construction supervisor.
Tina Huang, site supervisor for Canareno—a renovation company based in Markham—confirmed to The Owen Sound Current in a phone interview on Saturday, July 19, that the transformation of the former Legate’s Fine Furniture building is in progress.
However, Huang declined to name the Oshawa-based restaurant that will operate the new venue or to identify the owner(s) of the building.
Located at 790 2nd Avenue East, directly across from Owen Sound City Hall, the building served as the home of Legate’s Fine Furniture for more than a century until its closure in 2015.
The property changed hands in 2017, and its original wooden signage and marble facade were replaced with stone veneer cladding in 2018.
That facade later deteriorated, leading to charges filed by the City of Owen Sound under its property standards bylaw. In early 2024, a formal property standards order was issued requiring repairs.
Canareno obtained an encroachment permit from the city in June to allow for scaffolding installation along the sidewalk. The permit, which allows exterior work including the replacement of windows and wall cladding, is set to expire on September 10.
A large delivery of stone veneer sits at the construction site, awaiting installation.
Huang confirmed that the planned design includes a restaurant on the ground floor and a banquet hall on the second floor.
While the building is listed on the City of Owen Sound’s Heritage Register as a property of cultural heritage value or interest, it is not designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, meaning it does not have the full legal protections afforded to designated heritage properties.
The Owen Sound Current has contacted the City of Owen Sound to confirm whether any active planning applications or interior renovation approvals have been submitted in relation to this project. We will report updates as they become available.
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