The Quebec City’s municipal council has decided to demolish the aging Colisée (Coliseum) on the ExpoCité site to make way for a new multi-residential project, Le Journal de Québec reported.

The housing development set to replace the historic arena will be unveiled later this year.

Built in 1949, the Colisée served as the home of the Quebec Nordiques during their World Hockey Association existence and National Hockey League era before the club was relocated to Denver.

The NHL listed the arena’s size and condition among the reasons for moving the team.

The Colisée also housed the Quebec Remparts of what is now the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

The arena was closed in 2015 when the Videotron Centre opened and has since been used as a storage facility for the Summer Festival. Mayor Bruno Marchand’s administration commissioned the Quebec Urban Planning and Conservation Commission (CUCQ) to assess the feasibility of preserving the structure but ultimately decided on full demolition, according to the Journal.

“We are fully capable of presenting a concrete and structuring replacement project whose value will surpass that of the Colisée, since the site is currently underused,” municipal councillor Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc told the Journal.

Despite the decision, demolition will not begin until at least 2026 and is expected to take two years. Coulombe-Leduc assured that the process will adhere to environmental standards and will not involve implosion, the Journal reported. The last estimated cost for demolition was between $15 million and $17 million, though the final figure is expected to be higher.

The municipal opposition voiced concerns about the decision.

“We were in favour of keeping [the building],” Claude Villeneuve, the opposition leader told the Journal. “We have the impression that everything was decided in advance.”

While Transition Québec Leader Jackie Smith supported the demolition, she indicated that she would propose an alternative plan for the site during the next election campaign. The alternative plan would not involve housing, she told the Journal.

The CUCQ, which includes both independent members and municipal officials, will have the final say in approving the redevelopment project.

Photo: Wikimedia