Massachusetts

Historic Worcester Church Set for Demolition

A historic church that has stood for nearly 90 years in Worcester, Massachusetts, is about to be demolished.

"I just think it's a shame. I liked it, I loved that church very much," Carmen Perez said of Notre Dame des Canadiens.

For Perez, the impending demolition of the cathedral that majestically overlooks Worcester Common is personal.

"That church means a lot to me. My daughter was baptized, her first communion, and she was confirmed there," Perez said.

But more than a decade after it was decommissioned by the Catholic Diocese of Worcester, and eight years after it was purchased by Hanover Insurance as part of the City Square revitalization project, the developer says they've run out of re-use options.

"I can sincerely say we made our very best effort at a substantial cost to find a re-use for the building. We worked with other developers, various architects, engineers, contractors and preservation groups," said City Square II spokesperson Pamela Jonah. "None of these unfortunately proved viable."

"It's a loss of history that we're not going to get back," said Ted Conna of the Save Notre Dame Alliance. "Nobody builds these anymore."

The group has been working diligently to raise awareness outside the church and raise seed money to come up with a viable redevelopment plan.

Save Notre Dame Alliance plans to petition the city council Tuesday to try to step in and save the building, which dates back to 1929.

"The clock is ticking down," Conna said. "We have really a matter of weeks until it does become irreversible."

The demolition process began Monday and is expected to take about four months. City Councilor Moe Bergman tells NBC10 Boston no one wants to see this building come down, but the city's hands are tied because Worcester doesn't own it.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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