Abars fans visit building before it's torn down

Several people stopped by the old Abars site on Riverside Drive on Monday to say farewell as the building's owners prepare to tear it to the ground.

The city's building department issued a demolition permit for Abars late Friday, marking the end of the road for the building that, during Prohibition, was a popular hangout for celebrities like Babe Ruth and the gangster Al Capone.

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Grant Lefebvre was on the site Monday. The musician has performed at the bar many times over the years. He was one of the visitors to buy a beer mug, which was part of an impromptu yard sale.

"It's really sad to see this place go, but when it's time to go, it's time to go," he said. "I just thought I'd come in and have a look and see what's going on before it's all gone."

Abars is owned by a subsidiary of Manuel (Matty) Moroun, who owns the Ambassador Bridge Company and more than 100 boarded up homes in the city's west end.