The building was designed by the firm of Chapman and Oxley and opened in 1929. It was 22 storeys and 88 metres (289 ft) tall. The front facade around the main entrance was clad in granite, the entrance itself having a bronze screen. The first three floors of the building were clad in granite; the upper floors in limestone. On the third floor, the facade was wrapped in elaborate stonework in geometric and floral motifs, which also adorned the interior and the limestone piers at the crest of the building.[2] The first six floors were built in reinforced concrete, while the tower was built with a structural steel frame.[1]
The first six stories held the offices of the Star, and the rest was rental office space. The 21st floor housed the newspaper's radio studios. The ground floor facing King Street housed a few retail stores and a Stoodleigh's Restaurant at the east end. The basement had a restaurant and barbershop.[2]
Some stonework from the building can be found at Guild Park and Gardens, along with other portions of facades of lost buildings of Toronto.[3]