Crews begin demolition of Bde Maka Ska pavilion

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Nearly two weeks a fire destroyed the historic pavilion at Bde Maka Ska, the demolition of what remains of the building is set to begin.  

Tuesday, crews are expected to begin the process of leveling the 89-year-old building, home to the restaurant Lola on the Lake.             

While the demolition is set to commence, police and fire investigators are continuing their criminal investigation into the fire. 

The fire happened during an overnight thunderstorm on May 16 and officials initially thought lightning could have sparked the fire. However, on May 21, Minneapolis police announced they were looking for two persons on interest in the case and had opened a criminal investigation.

One of the people police were looking for spoke with investigators. No arrests have been made in the case, and police have not officially ruled the cause of the fire to be arson. On Tuesday, police confirmed the male seen in the surveillance video is a suspect in the case.

City officials say the demolition crew hopes to have the entire building torn down and hauled away on Tuesday, with more cleanup possible on Wednesday.

The nearby boat launch will be closed during the demolition process.

It is still unclear if and when the pavilion will be rebuilt.