Its rebirth has been promised again and again, but the newest generation of politicians running the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough believe they will be the ones to give the abandoned Empress Theatre back to the neighbourhood.

The local administration is pledging to demolish and decontaminate the decrepit historic building, so that only the iconic art deco Egyptian-sculptured facades on Sherbrooke and Old Orchard are left standing.

The new space created will include an outdoor courtyard that can host movie nights and other community events. Once the demolition is done, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce is hoping to team up with private sector actors to create a whole new building behind the preserved facade.

They hope an eventual development will include cultural spaces and housing.

“Concretely, this first phase is something that we are capable of doing under our administration without any other partnerships,” explained borough mayor Stephanie Valenzuela.

Built in 1927, the Empress had been a movie theatre and a hub for burlesque shows before being abandoned and falling into disrepair. It never recovered after a 1992 fire. Years of neglect and water infiltration have rendered the interior unsalvageable; the borough budgeted about $10 million to gut the structure.

“That will be the first step towards the full-fledged final project, which could take many more years, but we didn’t want to stay idle and with our arms crossed while we wait for this perfect project to come along,” explained Loyola district city councillor Alexandre Teodoresco.

Snowdon city councillor Sonny Moroz called the announcement a “promise kept for NDG residents.” Ensemble Montreal members Valenzuela, Teodoresco and Moroz pledged action on the site in their first 100 days following the 2025 municipal election, which saw their party gain a majority of council seats in the borough.

“It’s four or five administrations in a row that have been trying to eat this elephant in one bite and we believe that it takes a step-forward process in order to get to the finish line,” Moroz said.

Projet Montreal, who never succeeded in revitalizing the empress during eight years in power, wonders if the new approach will work.

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“Would it have been better to wait, to get a full project that was both saving the outside walls and building behind?” wonders Projet Montreal city councillor Peter McQueen. He said he supports the idea of demolishing the building while preserving the iconic facade.

For local artist Scott MacLeod, many questions remain about a potential phase two.

“Is it social housing? Is it live workspaces for artists? Are there affordable rentals? This still remains to be seen,” said Macleod, who is part of a group called the Empress Cinema Collective.

Some feel just the demolition and courtyard space with possibility of development is a positive.

“I think any move forward is going to be a great move. It’s been an eyesore for too long,” said Clifford Schwartz, president of the Wheel Club.

“At least it’s a step forward. Make it more palatable for a developer to come in and say, ‘OK, this is something that’s doable.’”

The borough says it will start seeking a contractor for the demolition, in hopes the dismantlement of the building takes place next year. Their goal is for a showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show to take place in the new outdoor square in October 2027.

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