Montreal prepares to sell long-abandoned Empress theatre [Video]

The Empress Theatre, a nearly century-old landmark in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) neighbourhood, may soon be revitalized.

After decades of neglect, the City of Montreal is preparing to sell the historic building on Sherbrooke Street West.

The city declined an interview request but said it plans to transform the building into a mixed-use space combining housing and commercial units.

Residents in the neighbourhood say they approve of the plan.

“I think it would be really cool to have an entertainment space, or a rec room for kids or something. Community center of some sort even,” said Shane Muir, who grew up in the neighbourhood.

But longtime NDG resident Howard McGillis says he will believe it when he sees it.

Numerous projects to save the theatre have been presented over the past decades, but none have been completed.

Paul Scriver was part of a citizens’ group that tried to bring the Empress …