At six storeys and 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2), it was designed to accommodate over 1000 provincial civil servants, who had been dispersed in more than 20 separate buildings in Fredericton, the province's capital city.

In 2019 a project that would have replaced one wing of the building with a new courthouse and renovated the remaining structure was cancelled after a change in provincial government.

The building incorporated commissioned murals by six New Brunswick artists: Jack Humphrey, Bruno Bobak, Claude Roussel, Fred Ross, Tom Forrestall and John Hooper.

A number of historic houses were demolished to make way for construction of the building, which occupies half a city block in downtown Fredericton.

[1]: 25 The main lobby has polished travertine columns and walls, terrazzo flooring, and a high ceiling of translucent backlit panels.

Historic texts in brass lettering on the lobby walls include poems by New Brunswick poets Bliss Carman and Sir Charles G. D. Roberts, extracts from the diaries of Samuel de Champlain, and a transcription of the Lord's Prayer in the Miꞌkmaq language.

[9] In the early years public guided tours of the Centennial Building were offered, with particular attention paid to the six murals.

[10] In the early 2000s the government considered nominating the building as a provincial heritage site but did not proceed with this idea.

[3] An architect was hired to examine the building and report to the provincial Department of Supply and Services, describing its condition and making recommendations for its future.

The intention was to return some government departments from rented offices back to the Centennial Building, saving an estimated $2,500,000 annually.

In May 2019 the government issued a request for proposal for private sector purchase of the Centennial Building, specifying "no inclusion of public money or risk to provincial taxpayers".

The Department intends to return the murals to the building, stating that they "will be protected and conserved and will remain a lasting and important element", while accessible only to residents or hotel guests.