To spot the Irving Oil Home Office, look for a striking, pale stone-clad building rising 11 stories high, with clean lines, rows of square windows, and “Irving Oil Limited” above its entrance, right next to King’s Square.
Alright, take a moment to look up at this modern giant-its glassy windows are marching in perfect rows, and it probably shines just a little more when the sun’s out. But behind those polished walls is a story full of ambition, drama, and a little bit of city politics. Picture this: it’s 2015, and Irving Oil wants a brand-new home for a thousand of its employees. Their first idea? A fancy $30 million headquarters down on Long Wharf. But that project fizzled out like a leaky oil drum, so the company set its sights on this very spot, which, believe it or not, used to be just an employee parking lot.
Now, getting this building off the ground wasn’t so easy. Because the location was inside Saint John’s special heritage area, heritage rules meant the architects, B+H Architects and Alex Novell, had to pull out all the stops. The city council and the community debated and wrestled with those rules before finally giving the green light. So began construction on June 6, 2016, right beside the historic Imperial Theatre-which means, if you listen carefully, you might just hear the distant echo of a show tune drifting over on a breezy day.
But not everything went smoothly. In 2018, tragedy struck with the loss of a worker, reminding everyone that building something new can come at a cost. Still, in 2019, the doors opened, welcoming employees with not just 200,000 square feet of workspace, but an outdoor terrace on the fifth floor and a beautiful skylight atop the eleventh. And it’s not just stylish-it’s LEED Silver certified, making it as green as it is grand.
So, the next time you walk by, remember: this spot isn’t just about oil and glass. It’s about Saint John’s determination to honor its roots while reaching for the skyline.
