The decision to demolish Malcolm Yonge Gym stands despite a large public outcry Thursday night.
It was a standing-room-only crowd in the Hagler-Mason Conference Room on the second floor of City Hall, where the City Council met Thursday as council chambers are undergoing renovation. Most of the more than 100 people packed in the conference room were there to try to urge the council to reconsider its decision to award a $59,079 contract to tear down the Malcolm Yonge Gym.
Two former City Council members, Sherri Myers and Ann Hill, were among those in the crowd who supported keeping the gym. Another former council member, Jewel Cannada-Wynn, was among the smaller group asking the city to stay the course to convert the property into affordable housing.
Despite the outcry, the council voted 6-1 to ratify its decision as the Community Redevelopment Agency board last month to demolish the 63-year-old city building. Councilman Charles Bare cast the dissenting vote.
After the CRA board vote last month, an organized effort was launched to try to save the gym that included local Facebook pages running sponsored posts urging people to come to the council meeting on Thursday.