The demolition of James Street Baptist Church caused a heavy dust cloud to form, forcing the brief evacuation of the Bell Canada building next door on Friday morning.

Bell employees were evacuated from the the five-storey building for approximately an hour after the dust caused the fire alarm to sound.

The majority of the 146-year-old church is being demolished with possible plans by developer Stanton Renaissance to build an $80-million residential-commercial complex.

The dust has been an ongoing issue for construction workers as the walls of the church are torn down. On Friday morning several workers pointed a fire hose to alleviate the debris as an excavator continue to demolish the building.