Empire Theatre building, an icon of good old Bengaluru, goes

The Empire Theatre building on MG Road, part of Bengaluru’s cultural heritage, has made way for a new structure that will house a jewellery store.

For more than a month since the scaffolding was erected to build a fortress around the old structure, fears over its demolition were allayed by construction supervisors on the site.

Those who tried to make inquiries were assured that the building would undergo only minor changes.

However, DH caught up with a developer and found that the building would go. And gone it has. “There was no scope to protect a structure which was crumbling. We did inspect the building with an expert team which suggested that the building had grown weak and could not be strengthened. We could do nothing but bring it down,” said the developer who did not want to be named.

Sources said the property changed hands about three months ago.

In a letter to the BBMP, the owners had requested permission for “complete demolition” of the building citing complaints that debris has been falling on the pavement and the common pathway. “During a recent inspection, we noticed that certain parts of the building appear to be weak and cracks have shown on some of the outer and inner walls,” the letter reads.

The developer stressed that they had obtained all the necessary permission before pulling down the structure.

To a question, the developer confirmed the same and said planning was underway for the new structure. “An exclusive jewellery store will come up on the site. We will make sure the new structure will match the aura MG Road carries and the significance the location has,” he said.

He added that they may need another year to finish the construction. “We got possession of the property just a couple of months ago and the demolition began recently.”

In recent years, the building also housed many other reputed businesses, including a fashion line by designer Paresh Lamba.

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