‘You fight until the end:’ Worcester City Council backs non-binding request to delay demolition of historic Notre Dame church

May 09--Saying they would fight until the end, Worcester's City Council backed one last effort to save the historic Notre Dame des Canadiens Church from the wrecking ball.

On Tuesday, the council voted to support a three-month demolition delay of the structure.

Although the vote in non-binding, Mayor Joseph Petty and City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said they would once again meet with property owner Hanover Insurance Group Inc. to ask that no irreversible work be done for three months while further options for saving the church are explored.

"I don't believe any one of my colleagues wants to see this beautiful structure come down," District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson said. "I think that somebody said tonight we have to put our last best effort, and that's why I stand here tonight."

Members of Save Notre Dame Alliance -- the group behind the three-month delay request -- met with Congressman Jim McGovern, the city manager and mayor, Hanover Insurance and others last week to discuss the possibility of saving the church.

Although Hanover declined to halt the process, Petty and Augustus said they would ask again.

The effort received widespread support from city councilors.

"You fight until the end and I'm standing here tonight to say I believe we should fight until the end, if there is someone out there to help us, we need to try," Mero-Carlson said.

Ted Conna of Save Notre Dame Alliance said although the council's action is non-binding, it's still an important display of support. He said the city needs to broaden its efforts to save Notre Dame, adding that public and philanthropic funding has not been adequately explored.

"We know the economics of Notre Dame are challenging, but with public money, a philanthropic campaign, possible use of naming rights, perhaps new construction linked to saving Notre Dame, we do believe it's possible," he said.

Toni Ostrow, also of the alliance, said when the group met with city officials and Hanover last week, they were told a redevelopment project wouldn't be profitable at this time.

"How short-sighted and sad it would be to lose this special Worcester landmark because our market timing is off by a few years," she said.

Ostrow added that with a subsidy of $6 million, a private developer could profitably save Notre Dame today.

"That's a lot of money, but the successful redevelopment of the Hanover Theatre cost over $31 million, more than half of which was public funding and charitable gifts," she said.

The church at 5 Salem Square was closed in 2007 by the Diocese of Worcester. While developers have said the church is too far gone to repair, preservationists have advocated for redevelopment of the church into a mixed-use property with potential for a brewery or other uses.

The demolition of the structure began last week with an environmental abatement of the interior. That work is expected to take six to eight weeks; then, the church will be dismantled piece-by-piece.

Salem-based engineering consulting firm Structures North assessed the structural integrity of the building and in September conducted a visual inspection of the property and found deteriorated interior masonry, rusted structural elements, cracked concrete, a collapsing chimney and a leaking roof, but also came to an optimistic conclusion about the building's prospects, finding that it could be saved.

Pamela Jonah, a spokeswoman for developer CitySquare II, previously told MassLive that cost estimates for repairing the facade, roof, windows, doors and more have been between $8 and $10 million.

She said CitySquare II will continue to consider "fair and reasonable" offers from serious investors.

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