The empty Black Knight Inn on Oct 21, 2021. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

sale to close this month

‘Iconic’ Black Knight Inn to be demolished after 44 years

Oct 21, 2021 | 2:50 PM

Red Deerians should say their last goodbyes now to one of the city’s best-known landmarks.

The Black Knight Inn, which went into receivership last year, has a buyer, with the sale expected to close by the end of October.

RELATED: Black Knight Inn goes into receivership

Brett Salomons, partner with Salomons Commercial, shares that an assessment revealed a number of issues that make preserving the building — located along Gaetz Avenue just south of 32 Street — unfeasible.

That includes a significant amount of asbestos throughout the building, a failing roof, and malfunctioning machinery, such as the HVAC system.

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Salomons can’t disclose who the buyer is, but does reveal the sale price is north of $1 million. Now, the goal is to determine the vision for the 5.61 acre site.

The photo looking west, the new Black Knight Inn can be seen on the left in what was still a largely undeveloped south end of Red Deer. (Red Deer and District Archives-N7282/John Roberts)

“It’s a fairly large site, so there are lots of things we can do. As part of the process, we re seeking expressions of interest to kind of piece together the puzzle and see how different uses may fit,” he says.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from the medical, financial and food industries. One option could be a larger box retailer, so you fit that in and the rest of the site follows.”

The listing on Salomons’ website says the site is exposed to 20,000+ vehicles daily, and it currently has C4 zoning.

Timeline for the building’s demolition involves imminently closing the sale, holding an auction to sell of remaining assets, then four months of asbestos abatement, and two months to demolish.

Salomons explains it will be dismantled one storey at a time, from the top down.

Built in 1977, the Black Knight Inn has 98 rooms, and was home to JB’s Lounge and their beloved steak sandwich.

The Black Knight Inn in 1977, the year it opened. (Red Deer and District Archives-N7074/John Roberts)

“I’m born and raised in Red Deer, so that’s why we didnt take this decision lightly. It’s an iconic hotel. We did want to pay tribute to Ken Mandrusiak and his family for running the hotel for as many decades as he did,” says Salomons.

“I do remember going weekly with friends and getting a steak sandwich — the best one in town — for only six bucks at the time.”

The virtual auction, which includes TVs, beds, chairs and kitchen equipment, among other things, is happening Oct. 28-Nov. 4, with in-person viewing opportunities on Oct. 30 and Nov. 3.