Demolition crews moved in Thursday to begin taking down the Negro Community Centre in Little Burgundy.
Earlier this week, Quebec’s Court Of Appeal rejected a bid by Montreal’s Southwest Borough to save the building.
The developer who bought the building in September went to court and was granted permission last Friday to begin taking down the dilapidated building, arguing it was dangerous and too costly to repair.
The borough was trying to delay the demolition, saying its engineers deemed the building to be safe, and also on the grounds of its historical significance.
The borough issued a release this week saying it was dismayed the courts allowed the developer to bypass the borough’s wishes to “preserve its heritage.”
Built in 1891, the building had been vacant since 1989. It used to offer programming such as day camps, adult education courses, sports and dancing for Montreal’s black community as well as the community at large.
In the spring, one of the Little Burgundy landmark’s walls caved in, forcing the centre’s board to file for bankruptcy.
The land is in an institutional zone, meaning for now, whatever goes up in the building’s place must be in the same community-centre vein.
The borough says it will not change the zoning unless the developer comes up with a plan that will satisfy all involved parties.
