Historic Cambridge building demolished after fire

A Cambridge landmark was reduced to rubble Monday as wrecking crews knocked down a 19th century building destroyed by fire on Saturday night.

The downtown Preston property most recently housed a dance club and sports bar, The Hopper, but has been shuttered since 2015.

It’s now at the centre of a suspicious fire investigation.

“It’s certainly emotional to see it come down and to see it come down this way,” Cambridge Ward 3 Coun. Corey Kimpson said.

The demolition drew crowds to the intersection of King and Lowther Streets.

“I never went to The Hopper,” one person watching the tear-down said. “That’s a little younger crowd than I’m – uh – up for.”

Officials say the building was vacant, but people had been seen inside.

“There were some occupants inside the building and one that was seen leaving the building so we're treating it as suspicious at this time,” Eric Yates, chief fire prevention officer for Cambridge Fire said Saturday.

A large fire in downtown Preston can be seen on Saturday, May 6, 2023. (Submitted: Darren Bondy)

In 2015, flames ripped through the same building, displacing at least eight people who were living in a rooming house on the second floor. The Hopper was located on the first floor.

CLOSURES IN THE AREA

On Monday, two businesses located directly beside The Hopper remain closed. Meanwhile operations at Canada Post, which is also in the taped off area, are full steam ahead.

“Rain, snow, sleet, fire – we put the blinders on and just keep going,” worker Karen Cochrane said.

Some roads in the area are still closed for clean-up.

Signs for The Hopper nightclub were still visible on the building on Sunday, despite the venue having been closed since 2015. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV Kitchener)

REVITALIZATION PLANS ON HOLD?

An online listing shows the building was up for sale with an asking price of $2.1 million. Plans were underway to revitalize the area.

“The current owners had undergone an archaeological study last summer and they had been working in conjunction with the planning department, building department, heritage — all of the different departments at the City of Cambridge to come up with a new development that was really going to breathe new life into our Preston downtown,” Kimpson said.

Now the fire could uproot those plans.

“So that could be additional costs, additional delay. And ultimately it’s not something that anybody wants to be dealing with,” Kimpson said.