Built in 1927 and designed by Joseph-Alcide Chaussé, the Empress Theatre (also known as Cinema V) is the only theatre in Canada designed in the "Egyptian" style and inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb.
Located at the corner of Old Orchard Avenue and Sherbrooke Street, the building is famous for many things, and over the years has gone through several iterations, owners, and names before a fire in 1992 caused so much damage, it resulted in its permanent closure.
There have been plenty of attempts to reopen it as a cinema but none have been successful. The city acquired it in 1999, and it has since sat vacant.
28 years later, the city is still trying to decide what to do with the space and are asking residents to chime in and vote on what they would like to see done with the iconic building. The borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce announced on Tuesday the start of public online consultations to determine the future of the deserted landmark.
“The time has finally come to talk about the Empress,” says the Ville de Montreal website. “Share your ideas and comments — even the most unusual ones — and imagine what the space could be like in the future. You can provide your input at any time of day.”
You have until December 10 to share your ideas online and starting on December 11, Montrealers will be able to vote on the proposals in hopes of finding the best way to transform the iconic building.
If you'd like to have a say, head over to the website and submit your idea(s).
