Pointe-Claire committee approves demolition of historic Pioneer Bar

Pointe-Claire city council's demolition committee has approved tearing down thehistoric Pioneer Bar despite concerns raised by several residents who wish to preserve the iconic building.

The decision was made Friday morning, just after midnight, after an extensive debate by the committee.

Mayor John Belvederesaysan appeal of thedecisionis still possible. If that happens, it would go to city council to have the final say.

If not, the building in the heart of Pointe-Claire Village will be torn down and replaced with a mixed-use building that includes ground floor commercial space and residential units on the upper floors.

"The fact that there's commercial downstairs is a real big asset to the village," Belvedere said of the proposed project.

"It would be four new businesses that could come and bring people to the village.Right now there is no commercial space available."

Having people living above the commercial space, he said, carries on a long-standing tradition of of having residential above businesses.

"People will be living in the village," he said. "They will hopefully be shopping in the village and spending time in the village. I don't think that could be a negative. I think that's a positive thing."

Because there are still steps remaining in the process, Belvedere said he cannot predict when the demolition would be carried out.

Either way, the committee's decision to side with the developer is not easy news to swallow for Tracy McBean. She is on thePointe-Claire Heritage committee's board and she attended the debate Thursday evening.

She said she's not only disappointed, but she is also angry that, after a roller coaster ride of decisions and debates on the topic over the last several months including investor-backed plans presented to save the building the city is pushing forward with the demolition of a building that is about 118 years old.

"We're not just talking to local residents that support it," she said of those who want to save the building.

"These are people from outside of the city, outside of the province, that, when they come to visit, they come to the Village to see the history to see the charm of the Village. And we're just taking it away. I don't know how the Village merchants are going to survive."

Developer Greg Koegl, who owns the building, could not be reached for comment early Friday.

The bar, located in the Pointe-Claire village, was on the market for 10 years before it was purchased by a developer.