The Côte-des-Neiges Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough is asking its residents to weigh in on the future of the former Empress Theatre.
Located on the southwest corner of Sherbrooke West and Old Orchard, the building first opened in 1927 as a movie theatre.
The theatre eventually changed its vocation to focus on cabaret style shows from 1965-1967.
In 1967 it returned to its original function and rebranded as Cinema V — a name which still resonates to this day with West End residents.
However, in 1992 a fire ravaged the theatre and the building has been empty and in a state of disrepair since. Previous attempts to redevelop the imposing structure proved to be unfruitful.
The borough is now pushing ahead to relaunch the space as a mixed-use building with residential, commercial and cultural components and residents are encouraged to share their ideas, “even the most unusual ones.”
Could the building one day play host to a space dedicated to live music? Only time will tell.
Input is being accepted until December 10 and interested parties can participate through the Côte-des-Neiges Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough website.
