Neon Factory at 594 Main Street
photo credit: Bryan Scott
The Neon Factory's last location 594 Main Street located just between China Town and the North End.
You will notice by the photos it was an ever growing project. It started with purchasing a building and lead endless renovations and restoration.
Reno's started with installing a glass garage door so that the community and passers by could forever enjoy and remember neon and our city's past through signage. It then fire balled from there with lots of hard labor, paint, and determination to become what now stands today.
Mike and Joe purchased the building in 2007 and the move was enormous as you could imagine. The place was a bit of a disaster when we moved in. It required much attention to become what it is today. I remember all of us tearing up 5 or 7 layers of smelly flooring with a pitch fork to get to the floors we have now and Mike up on a ladder for days no weeks on end painting the tin ceiling by hand with one little brush and several cans of Tremclad.
The boys employed students from work placement programs to work on the other 2 floors of the building. They opened up the back half of the 2nd floor to make one big room and created a studio living space in the front half. Yes there is space for lease.
The 3rd floor is still on its way to becoming what ever becomes of it.
All I can say is this building was a labor of love.
It was important to save the historic value of the building to Mike and Joe. They applied for historic status for the building and received it. The are so many beautiful features of this building and it has quite the past as well! The revitalization of this building is a timely and costly one but to do it right that's what it takes. As preservation of the past is a big thing for Mike and Joe there is no cowboying this job.
The main floor renovations were finished and Mike's massive collection of Neon signs went up! Not only the signs, but so many other pieces of Winnipeg's history.
........
You will notice by the photos it was an ever growing project. It started with purchasing a building and lead endless renovations and restoration.
Reno's started with installing a glass garage door so that the community and passers by could forever enjoy and remember neon and our city's past through signage. It then fire balled from there with lots of hard labor, paint, and determination to become what now stands today.
Mike and Joe purchased the building in 2007 and the move was enormous as you could imagine. The place was a bit of a disaster when we moved in. It required much attention to become what it is today. I remember all of us tearing up 5 or 7 layers of smelly flooring with a pitch fork to get to the floors we have now and Mike up on a ladder for days no weeks on end painting the tin ceiling by hand with one little brush and several cans of Tremclad.
The boys employed students from work placement programs to work on the other 2 floors of the building. They opened up the back half of the 2nd floor to make one big room and created a studio living space in the front half. Yes there is space for lease.
The 3rd floor is still on its way to becoming what ever becomes of it.
All I can say is this building was a labor of love.
It was important to save the historic value of the building to Mike and Joe. They applied for historic status for the building and received it. The are so many beautiful features of this building and it has quite the past as well! The revitalization of this building is a timely and costly one but to do it right that's what it takes. As preservation of the past is a big thing for Mike and Joe there is no cowboying this job.
The main floor renovations were finished and Mike's massive collection of Neon signs went up! Not only the signs, but so many other pieces of Winnipeg's history.
........
Hard work pays off. The Neon Factory in its glory was sought out by people all over. Not only was the Neon Factory in this location the number one place for neon but also became a popular venue for events! The Neon Factory became an amazing location for amazing pop up dinners. The space was often used to host parties and for t.v.. After being featured on History Channels popular t.v. show Canadian Pickers The Neon Factory just keeps on growing and glowing!
..... more to come.
..... more to come.
Renovations and Moving in!
