Fate of the Colisée de Québec: the Urban Planning Commission will study two scenarios

The Marchand administration officially entrusted the Quebec City Planning and Conservation Commission with the mandate to analyze the heritage value of the old Colisée and asked it to decide on two scenarios: partial or complete demolition.

• Also read: Mayor Marchand affirms that it is he who will decide on the fate of the old Colisée

• Also read: The planning commission will decide on the future of the old Colisée de Québec

• Also read: Public consultation: several citizens in favor of preserving the Colisée de Québec

“The Commission has never had to comment on the Colosseum until now. We have never gone to the Quebec City Planning and Conservation Commission (CUCQ), it is really the first time,” underlined the councilor member of the executive responsible for Heritage, Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc.

The fate of the Colosseum, which has been repeatedly threatened with demolition since its closure in September 2015, still hangs in the balance. At the beginning of November, the executive committee approved a request for advice from the CUCQ to help it decide on its future. In a decision-making summary that The Journal was able to consult, the City asks it to decide on two hypotheses: “either the conservation of the original building of the Colisée de Québec by providing for a partial demolition of the building or the complete demolition of the building.”

Establish criteria

To do this, the CUCQ must establish criteria on the “technical, architectural, heritage and urban dimensions of the building” which could allow the evaluation of the two hypotheses.

The hypothesis of maintaining the building could also be suggested indirectly by the Commission since, “depending on the criteria, if it does not give a favorable opinion to both, we are moving towards maintaining it”, indicates Mr.^me Coulombe-Leduc.

The CUCQ’s opinion will be delivered by December 20. However, “the opinion is not prescriptive,” specifies the advisor. It will be used to fuel the consultation on the future of the north-east sector of ExpoCité, which is studying two scenarios: either that of an event venue or that of a mixed sector which combines events and housing.

Marchand advocates demolition

The mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, makes no secret of his desire to demolish the building, which he believes is too expensive to bring up to standard and maintain. He had suggested a residential project on the site during the campaign. For their part, several citizens said they were attached to the building and would like to see it reclassified.

The Colosseum, built in 1949, is characterized by the presence of reinforced concrete arches covered by a concrete arched roof, which made it unique, since the view inside was not obstructed by any column. , unlike other arenas of the time.

But in 1984, the demands of the National Hockey League, which moved there with the Nordiques, led to major renovations which modified the facade and the original shapes of the building.