Mail-Order Building incorporated many features, that while commonplace today, were relatively novel at the time - a steel structure, reinforced, fire-proof concrete, well-positioned emergency stairwells, and large windows for natural light.

In 1991, HBC retired the Simpson's brand, either merging the remaining (Toronto-area) stores into the Bay banner or selling them off to Sears, depending on the location.

At the same time the City of Toronto government had relaxed zoning restrictions in certain areas of the downtown core, allowing redevelopment of under-used or empty 19th and 20th century factories and warehouses.

The ambitious plan to completely modernize the building was delayed by a general construction strike and a spectacular three-alarm fire, started when a worker tossed a cigarette butt into one of the old freight elevator shafts, landing on a massive pile of debris dumped from all the floors to be cleared from the bottom.

The entire building is wired with fibre-optic cable, has a rooftop pool, patio, and dog-walking area, and all the usual amenities in a large condominium, plus some unusual ones including a four-storey interior lobby and indoor half-basketball court.

Interior features include 8-foot (2.4 m) sliding barn doors, 12-foot (3.7 m) ceilings with exposed duct work and support pillars with capitals, and ten foot windows.

Other projects in the area include the conversion of the Toronto RCMP Building into a luxury hotel, the old CBC building on Jarvis Street into condominiums, the new headquarters of the National Ballet School, and the conversion of Maple Leaf Gardens into a Loblaws supermarket and Toronto Metropolitan University athletic centre.