A historic building that has sat vacant for about a decade in downtown Moncton, N.B., is getting a new lease on life after being purchased by a new owner.
The 'Flat Iron Building' on Main Street was bought by a Nova Scotia developer a few months ago and renovations are now well underway.
The 105-year-old building once represented growth in Moncton's downtown, which coincided with the importance of the railway. The structure sits near a railway overpass that provided passengers their first view of the downtown area when arriving by train.
"For a long time, this was kind of the gateway to the downtown. It's the first building coming off the subway," said Patrick Richard, the executive director of Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc.
"To have this being redone, even just this fresh coat of paint, makes a lot of difference. People are reinvesting in the downtown, they're interested in coming back and beautifying and adding to the vibrancy of the downtown."
The 'Flat Iron Building' was designated a Moncton heritage property in 1996. The unique, two-storey brick building has been home to a clothing store, a café and a restaurant.
The developer told CTV News the plan is to lease the space to a barbershop or a nail salon once renovations are complete.
