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The abandoned Hippodrome de Montréal grandstand looks over a weed-choked field, a mountain of dirty snow covering the track where horses once thundered past on their way to the finish line.

In the almost 10 years since the harness racing track closed, the structure has been quietly decaying as a series of municipal and provincial administrations have struggled to put a plan in place for the immense track of land northwest of Montreal’s downtown.

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Now, that era will likely come to an end in the coming days and weeks as the city moves forward with plans to demolish the clubhouse and decontaminate the 434,000 square-metre terrain.

Before that, Montreal police and a team of social workers are expected to make a final scan to ensure no squatters remain.

The demolition comes none too soon, according to Councillor Marvin Rotrand.

Photo by Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Rotrand, who has represented the district since 1982, believes successive municipal administrations have wasted time in redeveloping the massive vacant terrain into family-friendly housing.