Around New England

Supporters of Historic Church Building Trying Last-Second Save from Demolition

April 25, 2018

Notre Dame des Canadiens Church in Worcester has a distinctive design, with steep Romanesque arches and spires.

But a developer plans to demolish the 1929 building, which the Diocese of Worcester closed in 2007.

Demolition could begin as early as this week, but a group called Save Notre Dame Alliance is trying to get the city to keep it from happening.

The group is raising money to try to make an initial offer to the developer. Some are calling on the city to take the property by eminent domain.

The developer, City Square II, bought the property for $875,000 in 2010, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Supporters see the building being refurbished for use as a brewery or farmers market with food vendors.

One supporter, Toni Ostrow, called the church “a beautiful, unique, historic, one-of-a-kind building in downtown Worcester — nothing like that will ever be built again,” according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Ostrow also told the newspaper that the buildings being constructed around it currently “are sadly very generic, rectangular-box-type buildings.”

Ted Conna of Save Notre Dame Alliance told the T&G:  “Great cities save their great buildings.”