Patrons of the former Palomino Club on Portage Avenue will see the former hot spot turned to rubble starting Monday morning.

The tear-down of the iconic building that holds so many memories for so many will start at 7 a.m. It will be replaced by the Icon condominiums, set to open next fall or early next winter.

Even new owner Keith Merkel of EdgeCorp Developments has fond memories of ‘The Pal.’

“After hockey, it was always the place to go with the line dancing and (mechanical) bull riding,” Merkel said Sunday. “And for stags, it was always one of the stops along the way. But people have moved on.”

A new Pal opened on Main Street, but Merkel plans to pay homage to the original location, one of the reasons the condo will be called The Icon.

“We might put up some pictures of the old building in the hallway and add a little history,” he said.

But the locale is ideal for the condo, which will offer 60 suites.

“It’s on the edge of Wolseley and there’s not a lot of new condos in the area, and they will be very affordable,” Merkel said.

A one bedroom suite will start at $169,900. It will also offer two and three-bedroom suites, and will include eight handicap suites.

“There’s a shortage of those on the market and there’s good access to any kind of transit,” Merkel said.

It will also include both indoor and outdoor parking.

A rendering of the finished product can be viewed at theicononportage.com.

jbender@postmedia.com

Twitter: @bendersun