Notorious hotel in southeast Calgary to be torn down

A backhoe is seen taking down the first section of the Cecil Hotel in Calgary's East Village on Tuesday morning.

The Cecil Hotel in Calgary’s East Village will be demolished on Tuesday morning, marking a final end to the building’s tumultuous 100-year history.

Starting at 8 a.m., the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation and Demolition contractor will begin work on tearing down the building.

The hotel opened back in 1912, and was predominantly used as a short-term housing complex, but it soon attracted an unsavoury population and was known for violence, drugs, and prostitution.

Back in 2008, following the murder of a 23-year-old, the city took steps the close the hotel, buying it for almost $11M.

At the time, the Calgary Police Service says they were called to the building at least five times a day.

The hotel was permanently closed in 2009.

Susan Veers, vice president with Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, said the building, which had stood through the 2013 flood, needed to be taken down.

"Structurally, it was compromised. At that time we started an abatement program. Today is the day we start to take down the building."

Veers says the decision was made back in August, at the same time that the sign from the Cecil Hotel was removed.

She says the process will involve contracting companies, demolition companies, and a number of pieces of equipment to handle the demolition on the upper levels of the hotel.

"Today, we are starting with the north and southeast corners of the building as those are newer sections of the building that need to go now but, by Friday, you'll see a considerable difference on the site."

The city says they plan to include the sign in a new building planned for the East Village, but hasn't said which structure it would be.

Veers says Calgarians have recognized that what can be salvaged from the site has already been taken out. "People are ready to see the building come down now."

There are no firm plans for the land yet, but it’s likely to be developed into a mixed-use project.

"We're just thinking that through as, as you know, East Village is under full construction right now; there's lots happening. This block was never imagined in the master plan land that we had assembled at the time. This gives us the chance to look at what is being delivered, are we deficient in office, are we deficient in retail, or condominum development and then use this block to define what that would be."

Mayor Nenshi says that the site will be vacant for a while at least, but insists there will be a temporary use for it.

The demolition process is expected to take between five and seven days and will include knocking down a beer store adjacent to the hotel.

There is expected to be a partial road closure for a few hours near the area on Friday which will last throughout the weekend.