Montreal's abandoned Empress Theatre to rise from the ashes as mixed-use development, city says

After more than 30 years of disuse and neglect, the historic Empress Theatre in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) neighbourhood is finally set to undergo a major revitalization.

The City of Montreal says it is preparing to sell the building for mixed-use development. 

Former Empress Cultural Centre member Paul Scriver says that regardless of the final plan, the new building should welcome a cultural space like a theatre or a community centre. 

"It would be a shame if the building just became private residences because that denies all of the effort that the community has put in for many years," said Scriver.

"I'm a bit trepidatious, but I'm hopeful that if the city has the right developer that they can do something correct with it." 

Built in 1927, the once-grand theatre — designed by architect Alcide Chaussé in the Egyptian Revival style — originally hosted burlesque performances before transforming into Cinema V.

But the glory days of the landmark on Sherbrooke Street West came to an end when it was destroyed by a major fire in 1992. It has sat abandoned ever since. 

The city acquired the building from an insurance company in 1999. Over the years, there have been numerous consultations and several unsuccessful attempts to revive the place. Now, the developer who acquires the property will have the final say in shaping its future.

Fond memories of a favourite hangout

Scriver and other members of the community have fond memories of the theatre. He noted that it was NDG's residents who initially raised money to repair the building's roof, highlighting their involvement and affection for the theatre. 

"Cinema V was like the cultural spot where you would meet your friends, where you'd go to see a movie and then go out clubbing afterwards," he said.

Scriver was also a member of a citizens' group dedicated to restoring the theatre. He said his group held consultations with residents to seek their input on plans for revitalization. They pictured a building run both commercially and by the community, where cultural spaces and local businesses would be on the ground floor. 

The Montrealer said "missteps" and changes in municipal leadership throughout the years hindered the building from being properly redeveloped. 

"My hope is that they'll be at least able to keep the facade of the building. The interior still may have some remnants of the original Egyptian design," said Scriver.

Dinu Bumbaru, spokesperson and policy director with Heritage Montreal, hopes the city will pick a developer that respects the community's wishes.  

"It's not clear how the city wants to accompany [the developer]. Is it by smashing a set of heritage rules and [saying] that heritage is the only constraint, or can they work with the imagination of people?" Bumbaru said. 

He highlighted the building's vibrancy, explaining that it deserves a "lively function." 

The city says it is going to carefully analyze potential buyers.   

Sense of 'rage' at broken promises

Filmmaker and artist Scott McLeod, who worked with other creators on a short animated film depicting the theatre, feels a certain nostalgia for the building and the significance it once held.

Having left his rural hometown for NDG, McLeod found entertainment in the theatre, often going with his girlfriend in the 1980s. 

Through conversations with members of his community, he said he's observed two distinct groups: one nostalgic for the theatre's good old days, the other filled with "rage" after years of broken promises regarding its future.

"The second is rage because [they are wondering], 'Are they still going to promise us another project? Will it come to fruition?'" said the filmmaker.

McLeod, however, remains hopeful, believing that the developer will provide crucial financial support — the key factor, he said, which that has long hindered the building's restoration.

"This is a gem. We should find every grant, every federal or provincial, municipal monies that can help preserve heritage," he said.