Next chapter for the Crowell’s Building

Over the last two years, following substantial damage by Hurricane Fiona, New Dawn has evaluated and reflected on its ownership of, and the future of, the Crowell’s Building. After looking at a number of options and considerable discussion, New Dawn has decided to list the building and property for sale.   

It has been an incredible privilege to own and operate Crowell’s and to be witness to the positive impact it has had on commercial tenants and the downtown. Like in 2004, the building in 2024 requires new vision and new investment to position the property for its next chapter. Much of the deliberation over the last year has been whether New Dawn might be the right entity to spearhead that new development.  

New Dawn was gifted the property by the Hickey family in 2004 and set about renovating and reopening the prominent three-storey building with a series of downtown businesses over the subsequent two decades.    

Given the immense potential of the site for new or additional mixed commercial and residential space, and given the array of projects underway at New Dawn, including the Glace Bay Youth and Family Centre and Eleanor’s Court, we know that our best-case scenario is one where we would be able to lean in to design, finance, and construction/renovation in a few years’ time.   

Crowell’s occupies a large and prominent space in downtown Sydney and our hope is that another owner will be able to pursue redevelopment in the short, rather than medium or long, term. Our greatest wish is to see new life on the corner of Prince and Charlotte that will contribute to the reimagining of the downtown already well underway. 

HISTORY  

The original Crowell’s business was devastated in the 1901 fire which destroyed several blocks of Charlotte Street. That year, together with new partner, Prowse Bros., Mr. Crowell began construction on the building that stands today. By 1910, he became the sole owner of a flourishing operation selling everything from food delicacies to oil cloth.  

 In 1946, failing health led Mr. Crowell to sell the business to the Hickey brothers of North Sydney. For many years, Crowell’s prospered and continued to hold its own despite changing patterns of shopping in the later part of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, in 1999 after a long and successful career, the Hickey family decided to close the store. 

In 2004, the Hickey family donated the three-storey building to New Dawn Enterprises, who renovated and reopened the building to a series of tenants over the next two decades. The Shops at Crowell’s, a conglomerate of retail stores, included Music Stop (now Long and McQuade), the Baby Company, Social Salon and Spa, VMP, My Fair Ladies, Dr. Munshi, Louann’s Cafe, and the Cape Breton Island Centre for Immigration.  

New Dawn wishes to extend its deep gratitude to the Hickey family for both its care of the building and for gifting it to New Dawn. Because of the family’s tenacity, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to the community, the Crowell’s building and Crowell’s department store long has, and always will, occupy a special place in the hearts and memories of so many across the Island and across the province.