[Blitz]

Welcome to the official thread for everything Windsor!

[Blitz]

Here's some of what's going on...


Expansion to Casino Windsor: A 100,000 sq ft convention centre, 5000 seat theatre, and 23 storey hotel. Much of the existing casino will also be renovated. Work should be completed in late 2007.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/cmb256/casino.jpg



Portofino Condominium: 17 floor luxury condo tower overlooking the river between downtown and the university. Should be completed late this year.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/cmb256/portofino.jpg




Walker Lofts: An old warehouse once owned by the Walker whiskey distillery is being converted to condos. Completion is likely to be late 2007.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/cmb256/walkerlofts.jpg




Downtown west Urban Village: This is a proposed development for a large area on the western edge of downtown. 3-4 storey rowhomes are being proposed interspersed with commercial buildings. The land was originally expropriated for an arena in 1989 (don't ask).

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/cmb256/aerial.jpg




Urban residential infill is ongoing throughout the city. These new faux-historic townhomes have been popular in the Walkerville 'hood.

http://www.pbase.com/embee/image/51780181.jpg

[Blitz]

The University of Windsor has announced the construction of a new $53M Engineering building at the intersection of Wyandotte and California.
Article below is from uwindsor.ca...


The University of Windsor’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved plans to proceed with the design of the first phase of a state-of-the-art engineering building that would provide classrooms, undergraduate laboratories and meeting space for the university’s more than 1,300 engineering students.

“This is a great day for the University of Windsor and for the City of Windsor,” says President Ross Paul. “A new engineering facility fits precisely into our strategic plan To Greater Heights, and responds to our region’s need to create research and development opportunities to help secure a strong economic future.”

According to Dr. Paul, if the Board approves construction of the project, work can begin by May, 2007 with an estimated occupancy date of January, 2009.

“Windsor is an automotive city,” says Faculty of Engineering Dean Graham Reader. “Our campus needs a top-notch engineering facility that gives our students and faculty the tools they need to help our region meet research and innovation needs in the years to come. It’s a great investment in our region and a tremendous vote of confidence for the future of our university.”

The Board has approved design costs of up to $4 million for a 160,000 square foot facility with an estimated build cost of $53 million. The design phase of the project is expected to take up to a year. At the same meeting, the group approved a long-term financing strategy to take advantage of low interest rates.

The plan would see the university borrow $102 million in bonds, allowing it to pay off $50 million in outstanding loans and leaving $52 million for capital expansion projects. The restructuring allows the university to maintain its annual debt payment of $6.2 million by deferring payment on the loan’s principal for 40 years. Under this plan the Board would set aside $800,000 annually to cover the principal at the end of the term.

“We must ensure that we build a future for our students,” says Board of Governors Chair Marty Komsa. “This is a responsible plan that allows the university to grow while still leaving us with a debt-per-student ratio lower than most Canadian universities.”

Jeff LaPorte, president of the University of Windsor Students' Alliance, hails the move as "the right step forward for the university."

"This new building marks the beginning of a new era. Together with the debt refinancing, it should bring the university to greater heights,” LaPorte says.

The next step in the process will be a request for proposals from architects. Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis offered congratulations to the university for its role in securing the future of the city.

“When future investors come to our region,” he says, “it will be because we can provide them with first-rate leadership in high-tech research and development, a knowledgeable and skilled workforce for manufacturing, and a community that is vigorously educating the innovators of tomorrow.”

[arnold]

hey awesome... a windsor site. nice.

but as for that $500M rail realignment... from what i can remember from months ago... i personally believe that moving the VIA station out to the airport is a horrible idea. i mean, most of people who will be using the new station probably won't care where its located, since they'll be tourists from michigan getting dropped off by car. but one of the major advantages of rail travel for inter-city travel is that it drops you off in the downtown core. close to the major amenities. like in almost every other city along the windsor-quebec corridor. except maybe hamilton... but they have a good excuse.
this new set up means that visitors to windsor who arrive by train will be a $20.00 cab ride from downtown. minimum.

i would have been thrilled if they had of ADDED a stop at the airport (and oh, how i wish that toronto would get around to doing that), but to totally remove the walkerville station, sucks.
i mean, besides freeing up the land used for track beds and the removal of all of those at grade crossings out on the east end, what benifit does this hold for the city? besides making it more suburban and car dependent?

[Tony]

Though it's faux-historic, that infill doesn't look too shabby!

[Blitz]

Arnold, there are two possible locations: the airport, and Wellington Road near Wyandotte. They'll be abandoning the whole rail line from Windsor to Chatham since it's only being used by Via. I see your point about the station needing to be near downtown but I think the benefits of this plan are huge. We'll get rid of dozens of at-grade crossings in Windsor/Essex, and the east side of the metro will no longer be cut in half by these tracks.

The only sensible use for the old rail line IMO is a bike path. The current path that meanders along the river ends at Walker Road and the Ganatchio Trail ends at Lauzon Road. So all we'd need to do is connect those two through the use of this line and we'd have a 20km crosstown bike path from the Bridge all the way to the east city limits. There has been some talk of light rail but I'm not sure the market is big enough to support that. Anyway, here's an article that appeared this morning:



Via Rail scouts Windsor site
Options include area near airport and old depot near Wellington Road

By Dave Battagello
The Windsor Star
Jan. 21, 2006

Via Rail has been scouting possible sites for a new rail station in Windsor, according to a spokeswoman for the passenger service.
“We are looking at a number of options, but no decision has been made,” said Catherine Kaloutsky.
“We recognize with the Windsor station there is a need to upgrade and improve. But no decisions have been made on relocation.”
A $500-million federal plan calls for the 90-kilometre CN rail line used largely by Via passenger trains between Windsor and Chatham to be abandoned.
The government funds will twin a CP Railway line from two to four tracks and construct several road-rail grade separations to help increase the speed of both freight and passenger service. Work is expected to be completed within about five years.
Relocation of the Via station in Walkerville is part of the plan. A site near the airport and the old CP Rail depot near Wellington Avenue close to the entrance of the Detroit River rail tunnel are among options being discussed, sources said.
“There are a few options out there,” Kaloutsky said. “We’re in a position where we are looking at the possibilities and talking to CP. We are looking for solutions that will allow us to provide downtown service to customers.”
A cargo facility at the airport where air, rail and truck freight can be exchanged will also become a reality under the deal.
Construction and servicing of the property off Lauzon Parkway where the CP tracks cut through the airport’s northeast corner has an estimated cost of $30 million to $40 million, according to city officials.
The feds and the city are negotiating who will pay those costs.
A federal cabinet minister said the railway agreement is “not a question of if, but when.”
“There have been a lot of talks between Transport Canada, the mayor and myself on the (cargo facility) and rail consolidation,” said MP Joe Fontana, the labour and housing minister from London.
“It’s going well. No doubt it’s an incredible opportunity for Windsor. We are going to make it happen. We need to make sure Windsor is operating effectively as it can. Rail is a very important part of that.”
A solution has been agreed upon by the railways, city and feds, but final terms continue to be negotiated, the minister said.
“It’s an opportunity for win-win for everybody,” Fontana said. “Windsor is an important gateway to North America. We need to make sure it functions well. It’s never been a question of money, but a question of doing it right.”

[SteelTown]

Great stuff happening in Windsor! Portofino Condominium is quite nice.

I'm kinda worried if we elect a majority conservative government as I see that being a serious risk to VIA's future. It's no secret that the conservatives would like to privatize VIA. This might jeopardize Windsor's future VIA station (and Hamilton's too) from conservative's cutback.

[Blitz]

If the Conservatives are elected, the best case scenario for cities like Windsor and Hamilton would be a minority government. In regards to the railway plan, Windsor has been assured it'll go ahead regardless of what party is in power.

[SteelTown]

Oh so the funds have been put aside. That’s good news.

[y2k_pony]

good to see that we now have a sticky Construction thread, I will ad updated photo's of Construction projects going on when I have some time. I know that the Portofino is already 2 stories high and they are now doing the 3 day continous poor of the Concrete for the Casino tower foundation.

[arnold]

hey blitz, thanks for that article.

and let me just say, that if they could manage to put a new station down on the wyandotte and wellington site... that would be nothing short of stupendous. that is... if i'm thinking of the right place. wyandotte, in between downtown and the university, right?
because if it is, that location opens a whole world of opportunity for that completely under-utilized mid-wyandotte stretch. exciting times indeed.

[Blitz]

Yeah, that's between downtown and the University. It's a grungy area but maybe something like that would kickstart it.

good to see that we now have a sticky Construction thread, I will ad updated photo's of Construction projects going on when I have some time. I know that the Portofino is already 2 stories high and they are now doing the 3 day continous poor of the Concrete for the Casino tower foundation.

[arnold]

hey, i have a question for the windsor enthusiasts. since ford has announced the closing of the casting plant... what does that mean that mean for the area surrounding it? i know that the loss of 200 or so jobs is quite a blow, but the residents in that area surely must be glad that their smelliest of neighbours is moving out. probably sending the real estate values soaring on that stretch of the riverfront.
so, will they tear down the plant and just build condos? (after a long and expensive enviro clean-up, of course). or does anyone have any other ideas? a park? a shopping mall? an arena? a far eastern super-anchor? who cares to guess?

[Blitz]

Hmmm, haven't heard a thing about possible redevelopment there...my guess would be condos. LOL at the suggestion of an arena. I'd put more money on us seeing Windsor Arena's 100th birthday. Actually, Windsor Arena looks a hell of a lot better now than it did 10 years ago - they've really brightened it up, both inside and out.

[Blitz]

Investment in core signals ‘confidence’

By Dave Hall
The Windsor Star
Jan. 25, 2006


Calling it the “largest influx of city centre investment in the past five years,” the chairman of the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association said Tuesday six new businesses are in the process of opening in the downtown core.
Mark Boscariol, also a downtown business owner, said that “while all six are service-oriented, it’s a signal to me that people are showing more confidence in our downtown and are willing to invest where perhaps others failed.
“It’s obvious downtown is still viewed as an entertainment district and, until we increase our residential component, that probably won’t change,” said Boscariol.
Among the new businesses are the Whiskey Bar and Grill which has opened in the former Big Tomato space in the Palace complex on Ouellette Avenue, a new cafe which is replacing Maria’s Deli on Chatham Street, a new restaurant on Pelissier Street on the site of the former Ciao/Vivo eatery, a new restaurant is taking over the spot formerly occupied by Montecristo Coffee on Ouellette Avenue and a new eatery in the former Bern Fondue restaurant, also on Chatham Street.
In addition, Erleidcha Bed & Breakfast/cafe is about to open in the former Nisbet Inn, a longtime pub and bed and breakfast business on Elliott Street, which closed recently.
Erleidcha owner Nicole Daignault, a Windsor native who has spent the last few years living in Southeast Asia, said the business will offer “accommodations, healthy foods prepared with local, organic products, workshops and a lending library along with yoga, and sea salt baths.
“It’s going to be a cool place to hang out,” said Daignault, who has spent three months renovating and freshening the old Nisbet. “It’s a B&B-cafe with a holistic twist.”
Meanwhile Mike Piccioni, owner of the Whiskey Bar, admits “It’s a risk opening a business downtown but I’ve always wanted to run my own business and this seemed like a good opportunity.
“I’ve always liked this space because of the large windows and the corner location and I just thought if the right business went in there, it would work,” said Piccioni, an accountant with clients in the U.S.
Whiskey’s is open for lunch and dinner with entertainment offered by a Detroit-based rock-and-roll pianist, who “plays absolutely everything from the 50s through to today,” said Piccioni, on Friday and Saturday nights.
Boscariol said he was also encouraged by the prospect of up to 1,000 students being added to the downtown mix, providing St. Clair College and city officials are able to reach an agreement allowing the college use of the Cleary International Centre for its hospitality services courses.

It’s also rumoured that the college is considering similar approaches relating to the Capitol Theatre and the former Salvation Army building on Victoria Avenue, which would be used as a Centre for Entertainment Technology.
Boscariol, whose businesses include the Flying Monkey Cafe, Chanoso’s, Room with a Cue and Oishii, said he welcomes the added competition because “the diversity of the new openings creates an exciting dining destination in the core which we can begin marketing to outsiders, not just Windsorites.
Citing the existence of restaurants serving Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian, Greek, Lebanese and Japanese cuisine along with traditional North American fare, Boscariol said “the diversity is well worth celebrating and promoting not only to outlying communities but also across the river.”

[y2k_pony]

they are just finishing the Big pour of the Concrete at the Casino.

FYI.



January 20, 2006
A major continuous concrete pour for Casino Windsor’s expansion site has been cancelled for January 21 and 22 and rescheduled to happen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, January 24 and running approximately 32-34 hours through to the early evening on Wednesday, January 25. The original plans were cancelled due to poor weather conditions; this new date is also weather dependant.

This continuous pour is the largest planned for the expansion site and will form the foundation for the footings of the new 22-story hotel tower, to be erected parallel to McDougall Street.
Planning a continuous pour is a strategic endeavour:
· CBM (Canada Building Materials Co) will provide 25 trucks with 50 drivers.
· A total of 500 truck loads each carrying 8 meters of concrete will deliver a total of 4,000 cubic meters
· One cement truck will be unloaded every five minutes
· Two Windsor locations will be used to supply the concrete: Santarossa J & Sons located at 5115 Rhodes Drive and CBM’s facility at 3510 Russell St.
· From the Santarossa yard, the drivers will take Jefferson to EC Row west to Howard Ave north, west on Eugenie, north on McDougall to jobsite. They will return south on Howard to EC Row eastbound to Central Ave. then to Rhodes Dr.
· From the CBM yard, the drivers will travel east on Wyandotte Street and north on McDougall to the expansion site. They will return west on University.
· Six trucks will enter the construction zone at a time, with two vehicles each dumping into three separate concrete pumps, which will strategically fill the hole to an overall depth of 2 meters.
· Should the trucks that are ready to unload begin to queue, there will only be six at any one time waiting on McDougall Street.
· The pour will not cause additional street closures; both Pitt and Chatham Streets will remain open. McDougall Street from Pitt to Riverside Drive will also remain open. McDougall Street from Pitt to Chatham has been closed since January 3, 2006.

There will be four additional continuous pours planned through the end of February, each roughly half the size as the first, lasting approximately 12 hours with 250 truck loads.

The $400 million casino expansion and renovation project remains on schedule to be completed at the end of 2007. Key features of the expansion include a 400-room hotel tower, 5,000-seat auditorium/theatre and 100,000 square feet of convention space.

Casino Windsor’s current facility is undergoing extensive renovations with the addition of six bus bays at the Chatham Street entrance; the closure of Showtime Lounge which will be transformed into a high-end sports lounge to open this summer; and the recent opening of the first completed phase of the project, the 650-seat Market Buffet on the lower level.


:tup:

[Blitz]

Streetscaping / Urban Design news:

Mayor Francis is coming through on his promises to beautify major arteries. After developing Windsor's new Urban Design Plan in 2004, things are starting to take shape.....

Huron Church Road (the road connecting Highway 401 to the Ambassador Bridge) is set to undergo a massive streetscaping overhaul. Several renderings can be found here: http://www.citywindsor.ca/001753.asp

In the fall, dozens of trees were planted along medians on Dougall Rd and Howard Ave. More improvements to these medians will begin in spring. Also, the multimillion dollar Ouellette Avenue streetscaping overhaul is scheduled for 2007.

[FenderStrat]

Hi everybody. I was a member of this board a few years ago, back around 2002 I beleive. I posted many pictures during that period of time. Anyway I was busy with other things and now I'm back. Hopefully somebody remembers me.

Anyway here are some pictures of the progress of the construction of the casino expansion project:

http://home.cogeco.ca/~casino_construction/Casino_DC1.jpg

http://home.cogeco.ca/~casino_construction/Casino_DC2.jpg

[Blitz]

Nice, the Windsor posse is growing. Yeah, I remember you from way back then - you used to post pics from your balcony at Victoria Park Place.

[FenderStrat]

Nice, the Windsor posse is growing. Yeah, I remember you from way back then - you used to post pics from your balcony at Victoria Park Place.

Yeah! That was me! I can't beleive you remember me!! You, Jaybird, and myself were the main ones who wanted to discuss Windsor. Anyway it's good to be back.

[Blitz]

^ Jaybird has since been banned from this forum. It's unfortunate because he's completely turned himself around (and has proven that on SSC) but they still won't let him come back here. I still meet up with him from time to time - we're going to a Red Wings game in March.

[FenderStrat]

^ Jaybird has since been banned from this forum. It's unfortunate because he's completely turned himself around (and has proven that on SSC) but they still won't let him come back here. I still meet up with him from time to time - we're going to a Red Wings game in March.

That all went down towards when I too stopped coming on here. At the time I was no longer much of an active poster, but I still read the site to keep up with what all was going on. I don't know what happened with him but it just seemed like he suddenly snapped. He seemed like a reasonable person with intelligent opinions then he suddenly went nuts trashing every city except Windsor (especially London). Anyway if I was in charge of anything I'd be willing to give him another chance... I mean its been what .. 3 or 4 years now? You'd think he's learned his lesson. What is SSC? Is it a cool site?

[Blitz]

Yeah, he was originally banned for trashing Toronto. SSC is skyscrapercity.com, it's ok but I prefer SSP because SSP is more North America oriented while SSC is more worldwide.

[Blitz]

We're finally getting a medical school...


Medical school magnet for jobs
Full program starts in 2008
By Doug Williamson
Star Health/Sciences Reporter

The Windsor Star
Feb. 10, 2006


The creation of a stand-alone medical school on the University of Windsor campus will attract and retain doctors, create thousands of health-sector jobs and take the university into a new era of research and community involvement, officials said Thursday.
In 2008, a branch of the University of Western Ontario’s Schulich School of Medicine in London will be formally established in Windsor, offering a full, four-year program of studies to 24 first-year students per year, Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman announced in a news conference on campus.
That means by the end of the first four years, up to 96 medical students will be receiving training here, working with local doctors, researchers and hospitals.
An expansion of approximately 20,000 square feet to the university’s Toldo Health Centre will be required.
Flanked by finance minister and Windsor-St. Clair MPP Dwight Duncan and social services minister and Windsor West MPP Sandra Pupatello, Smitherman was greeted by standing ovations and cheers from the jampacked crowd at the Toldo Health Education and Learning Centre.
But it was Duncan who originally proposed the notion in 2001 as an opposition MPP, and with the help of Pupatello and a committee of dedicated local volunteers steered the idea through senior government ministries.
“We’re getting our
medical school,” a beaming Duncan said to cheers and applause.
In an interview, Duncan said studies have shown that an “average-sized” medical school, such as the one planned for Windsor, can produce up to 5,000 direct and 12,000 indirect jobs as health-care sector companies locate nearby, in addition to hiring at the university and local health care facilities.
“Medical schools are huge drivers of economic growth,” Duncan said. “This is the first important peg in diversifying our economy.”
Mayor Eddie Francis said the announcement shows what can be accomplished in Windsor. “This is a great day. We have to break out of this shell and inferiority complex.”
The accomplishment was especially sweet news because of the initial reaction from the former PC government in Toronto to the idea, others said.
“It’s been a great benefit because they told us we’d never have a medical school in Windsor,” said Windsor businessman Ted Farron, who served on the original steering committee along with labour council president Gary Parent and medical officer of health Dr. Allen Heimann.
A 20,000-square-foot addition to the Toldo building on campus will house classrooms and other facilities for the new students, but drawings have not been prepared, according to Dr. Raphael Cheung, a Windsor doctor who is assistant dean of the Southwestern Ontario Medical Education Network.
SWOMEN was formed three years ago as a satellite campus of UWO, allowing third- and fourth-year students from London to receive hands-on clinical training in local hospitals and doctors’ offices as part of their curriculum. About 190 local doctors work with the students now, and Cheung said more will have to be recruited when the new building opens.
But the new campus will be a fullfledged medical school, Cheung said. “I’m ecstatic,” the Windsor endocrinologist said.
Medical students often end up staying in the communities where they train, said Carol Herbert, dean of the Schulich medical school in London.
“We need health professionals across the disciplines,” Herbert said, referring to the shortage of doctors in this part of Ontario. “We have the same problems here as the far north.”
Jeremy Mozzon, a third-year SWOMEN student studying in Windsor, said he is considering staying here after graduation, and said other students will take a more serious look at Windsor-Essex.
“They see what it’s about. By coming here (the new school) puts it much higher in the radar,” Mozzon said.
Smitherman said the province plans to create a total of 104 new medical school spots across Ontario, in Waterloo, St. Catharines, Mississauga and Windsor.
U of W president Ross Paul said the Windsor proposal is the most advanced because of concrete plans to establish the full school here in co-operation with UWO.
UWO representatives who toured Windsor and Essex County were impressed at the level of research being done here, he said.
The shortage of doctors is still a problem, Smitherman said, adding that the new spots, along with efforts to repatriate Ontario doctors who have moved to other jurisdictions, and allow more international medical graduates to become doctors here, will go a long way toward solving the shortage.
However, Dr. Albert Schumacher, a Windsor family doctor and past president of the Canadian Medical Association, said there are still not enough medical school spots across Canada.
He said the country will be able to graduate 2,400 doctors per year, and needs to produce 3,000 to stay “self-sufficient.”
“Now we have to start planning for after this,” Schumacher said. “We can’t continue to plunder from the developing world.”
But there was no taking away from the optimistic mood Thursday, with U of W president Ross Paul heaping praise on a dozen local people who pushed the idea from the beginning.

[Tony]

Great News! I was watching the news last night and heard Kitchener was getting one too?

[Blitz]

^ Yep, a few other places too I think.

This medical school is being called the best news to hit Windsor in over a decade....


A coup for Windsor

By Gord Henderson
The Windsor Star
February 10, 2006

What? No victory champagne? A triumphant taste of the grape was the one festive element missing when this city's movers and shakers crammed into a University of Windsor lobby to toast the best news to hit Windsor in more than a decade.

But these folks didn't need alcohol to get high Thursday at 10:10 a.m. Packed in like anchovies, these key players from every sector of the community were all but levitating with excitement over the province's announcement that Windsor, defying all the odds, has landed a full-scale medical school and joined the big leagues of a burgeoning health industry.

"This is better than any Super Bowl party. This is our Super Bowl party," gushed meat baron Ted Farron, former chamber president and one of the key players in Windsor's marathon campaign to secure a medical school that will have enormous economic, social and medical spin-off benefits.

The Windsor Campus of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario. Sure. It's a mouthful. But let it roll around on your tongue for a bit because that prestigious title will in time prove as meaningful to Windsor as those of established institutions like DaimlerChrysler and Casino Windsor.

The naysayers insisted it couldn't be done. They figured community leaders were blowing smoke in thinking Windsor could some day join the Medical School Big Five -- London, Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston and Ottawa -- in boasting the most coveted of educational institutions. After all, we learned long ago that the province ends at London.

Only it doesn't anymore. Luckily for us, we had an MPP in Dwight Duncan who refused to swallow this entrenched defeatism. Duncan, who can be as relentless as a badger, believed that Windsor, hamstrung by an appalling shortage of doctors, could and should be part of any provincial solution.

He sold community leaders on the idea and they ran with it. With people like big-hearted city philanthropist Tony Toldo, CAW Local 444's Gary Parent, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Allen Heimann and Farron leading the way, a Conservative government which owed this area nothing was miraculously persuaded to award Windsor a small satellite medical school.

That was the foot in the door. And when our MPPs became ministers in the Dalton McGuinty government, it was time to go for broke. With Duncan guarding the treasury as minister of finance and Sandra Pupatello, minister of community and social services, sitting just inches from Health Minister George Smitherman's ear, there would never be a better time to smash that door down.

Now it's done. A $400-million Casino Windsor expansion and a medical school on the University of Windsor campus. Some legacy. God help the wretches who'll be dragooned into running against Duncan and Pupatello in next year's provincial election.

Duncan managed the considerable feat of sounding humble in his hour of glory. "I only stated the obvious at the beginning," he told me. In other words, he planted the seed. Others watered and fertilized it.

"I never imagined this would happen as quickly as it did," said Duncan. "To have a school that will have 96 medical students here once it's up and running with a new building affiliated with one of the great medical schools, not only in Canada but in the world, is just unbelievable.

"There were skeptics," he conceded, "but there were far more people like (University of Windsor president) Ross Paul and others at the university and the chamber of commerce and the local labour movement. Everybody came together and we did it the right way."

The unsung hero of this story, said Duncan, is Dr. Carol Herbert, dean of Western's medical school. "Every one of these initiatives needs a gift from heaven and that was Dr. Herbert. She is a visionary in medical education and an amazing human being. She brings a vision of medical education that is just ideal for this community."

A Vancouver native and the first family physician to serve as dean of a Canadian medical school, Dr. Herbert could have conducted a turf war to preserve and expand the Schulich School's London base. Fortunately for us, she had the breadth of vision to recognize the needs and opportunities presented by Windsor.

And now we have the beginnings of a diversified industry that will beef up medical care in this city, generate numerous cutting-edge jobs and bolster the University of Windsor's reputation.

Lucky us.

[arnold]

hey... that's great news. good for windsor.

[arnold]

on totally different note... i was just looking around on the 'american apparel' website, and apparently they have a store planned for downtown windsor. 510 Pelissier Street to be exact. has anyone heard about this? and what's on that site at the moment?

IMO, this is absolutley awesome news for the downtown windsor retail community. every franchise of this store that i've ever seen (a dozen or so) has been pretty large in size, fairly well designed (if minimalist) and very popular with the university/college crowd. which windsor has in abundance.

so yet more good news for the rose city.

[Blitz]

^ I'm not sure what's there right now, but that's definitely interesting news. The college is still supposed to be moving into the Cleary so maybe more news like this will be forthcoming.

[Border City Boy]

According to 411.ca, Sol Footwear currently occupies the space at 510 Peilssier... I can't picture the shop, but there is a different phone number listed for Sol than there is for A.A.

Intersting...

[arnold]

i remember sol footwear.
if i remember correctly, there was another shop immeatley beside it that was a part of the same property. and i believe that there was a downstairs as well. so i wonder if there's any chance that AA will be expanding on the floorplan of SOL... because it on its own would seem to be a little small for a retailer like AA.
just some baseless speculation...

[Border City Boy]

Here is a shot today of 511 Pelissier.

http://internationalmetropolis.com/ssp/aa.jpg

There was definatley some work going on in there...

[Michi]

I can see the cranes for the Portofino and casino from over here in Detroit. I am looking forward to seeing both of them rise up. I think the new casino hotel tower will have a neat effect based on the way it will be viewed from the USA.

[arnold]

^
sounds cool. in fact, i'd really like to see a photo of that view. might anyone oblige?

[cujo8400]

Hey Blitz. I'm new to this thread but it's nice to see somebody else that is interested in the different construction projects happening in our city. I am really excited about the new Casino hotel. I remember being alot younger when the first one was being built and being in complete awe watching that huge building being constructed.

[Sulley]

Awesome news in Windsor. You guys have a fine city.

[Blitz]

Hey Cujo, good to meet another Windsorite.

The Urban Village Design Plan is going before City Council next week. Check out the enormous plan here:
http://www.citywindsor.ca/000492.asp

[y2k_pony]

^
sounds cool. in fact, i'd really like to see a photo of that view. might anyone oblige?

heres a link to the camera taking stills every 5 minutes or so of the casino.

http://www.casinowindsor.com/Corporate/LiveCam.asp

[arnold]

^
hey, thanks for the link. now if only they could focus the camera...

[y2k_pony]

^
hey, thanks for the link. now if only they could focus the camera...

no prob, it only works good during the day though.

[arnold]

here's an article from today's windsor star that has some interesting stats from casino windsor. i'd be interested in hearing what some of the windsor forumers think of the "waste of cash" comment...


Casino project called waste of cash
Expansion like flying squirrel sex study: Tory

Trevor Wilhelm
Windsor Star


Monday, March 20, 2006


According to the provincial Conservative party, spending money to build a hotel at Casino Windsor is like spending money to research flying squirrels having sex -- they're both a waste of taxpayers' dollars.

That was a comparison Conservative Opposition Leader John Tory made Sunday in a statement slamming the Liberal government for "recklessly" spending $400 million on expanding the permanent Casino Windsor -- which was built under a previous Conservative regime.

Four days before the Liberals unveil their new budget, Tory compared the Liberal government's spending on the casino expansion to the $150,000 it gave Laurentian University in 2005 to research the sex lives of flying squirrels.

Tory's spokesman Brendan Howe added in an interview with The Windsor Star that the government has no business in the hotel business.

"This is a symptom of a much bigger problem with the McGuinty Liberals," Tory said in the statement.

"They have no respect for taxpayers' money. While Ontarians struggle to get by, Dalton McGuinty is spending hundreds of millions of dollars of their money recklessly."

Howe said the previous Conservative government's building of casinos across Ontario isn't the same as the Liberals spending money to build a hotel at Casino Windsor.

"You're comparing apples to oranges," he said. "We're talking about $400 million today to build a hotel. We've repeatedly questioned why the government should be building casino hotels. If it's a good thing to do, why won't the private sector fund it? We cannot justify spending $400 million on a swanky casino hotel ... When is the government going to have some priorities?"

Casino spokeswoman Holly Ward, who couldn't be reached for comment Sunday, has said the expansion will create 300 jobs. It is also considered crucial if Windsor is going to continue to compete in an ever-growing market on both sides of the border.

Casino Windsor's revenue did drop in 2005, but still earned the province hundreds of millions of dollars. In fact, gambling across Ontario produces $13 billion annually for the province.

At the end of 2005, Casino Windsor was the region's fourth-largest employer with 4,100 employees.

In its 12-year history the casino, which is run for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation by a private operator, has given jobs to more than 10,000 area residents. In addition to salaries and benefits it pays out, the casino also pays $12.6 million in municipal property taxes.

"The casino makes revenue for the province," Howe said. "But to automatically write a $400-million cheque without looking into this is pretty irresponsible and reckless for our government to do this."

Howe added it's premature to look at whether the hotel expansion will create jobs or increase revenues as part of the casino.

"I don't think we can answer that question until we answer the question of if someone in the private sector can build the hotel," Howe said.

He added Windsorites would be upset if the government spent the money to build a hotel elsewhere.

"If the government spent $400 million on a conference centre in Toronto or Peterborough, people would be questioning it," he said. "People in Windsor would want to know why the government was spending $400 million on a hotel in Toronto."

The casino's 22-storey expansion, which should be finished by the end of 2007, will include a 400-room hotel, 100,000-square-foot convention centre and 5,000-seat auditorium.

Howe said the government should spend the money on other needs like the health care system instead of sinking it into a hotel.

Tory also said in his statement the Liberals wasted money by spending $91 million to fire nurses then rehire them at other hospitals, and by putting $179 million into Local Health Integration Networks.

[Blitz]

This is the second time that jackass Tory has spouted off about it. The only reason he does is because he knows his party doesn't have a chance in hell of being elected here. How many times has Windsor been neglected and/or screwed over by the provincial government? Then when we finally get some attention from them, he throws a hissy fit. Screw him.

[Blitz]

I figured Gord would have something to say about this. Here's his column today in classic Gord fashion....


Tory firing cheap shots

By Gord Henderson
The Windsor Star
Mar. 21, 2006


By all accounts, Ontario Progressive Conservative leader John Tory is a nice guy and a sensible, middleof-the-road politician.
So it’s more than a little disappointing to see Tory, a guy who promised civilized discourse when he became opposition leader, wallow in the sleaziest kind of partisan warfare in repeatedly slamming the $400-million Casino Windsor expansion.
Worse, he embarrassed himself Sunday with his nutty — make that downright squirrely — comparison between government funding for sex research on flying squirrels and a provincial investment in Casino Windsor that includes a convention centre, a hotel and a 5,000-seat theatre.
His handlers obviously see Windsor as the ideal whipping boy. After all, this city hasn’t elected a provincial Conservative in decades and the recent federal election confirmed it remains a Tory wasteland, so there’s no downside in cheap shots.
Better yet, Windsor boasts two senior ministers, including Finance Minister Dwight Duncan. Where better to sock it to a Liberal finance minister who’s preparing to deliver a budget than on his home turf where he can be spanked for shameless pork-barrelling.
So the temptation is obvious. But I expected better from this former CFL chairman, wealthy lawyer and respected business executive who landed the Conservative leadership as a consolation prize in 2004 after finishing second to David Miller in the 2003 Toronto mayoral race.
After all, this straight arrow told reporters following a byelection win in Orangeville a year ago, where he replaced former premier Ernie Eves, that he wanted to “restore people’s faith in the political process by setting a positive example.” In an earlier exchange, he said Ontario is “not looking for leadership that chooses to divide people for political gain.”
Dividing people
Surely his idea of setting a positive example and not dividing people didn’t include shamelessly deceiving Ontario residents by spouting hypocritical and inflammatory nonsense.
As a businessman, Tory surely understands that in a competitive environment a business which fails to reinvent itself is doomed. Without this $400-million investment, Casino Windsor would fall further behind its three Detroit rivals and the government’s billion-dollar stake in it would be compromised, along with several thousand jobs and the hundreds of millions of primarily U.S. dollars that have been dispatched up the 401 to pay for health care and other needs.
The future of a key Windsor industry and its vulnerable employees — both of which will take a huge hit when smoking is banned at the end of May — is at stake and Tory has the gall to compare it with boinking rodents? Talk about inappropriate.
A Tory mouthpiece told The Star that the government should spend its money on health needs rather than a hotel. “We cannot justify spending $400 million on a swanky casino hotel . . . when is the government going to have some priorities?” demanded Brendan Howe.
Swanky hotel? What rubbish. Tory and his tiny Tory terriers can’t be so thick as not to see that this is about building convention/entertainment facilities that will restore our casino’s allure and make it once again a great revenue producer for the province.
Other Ontario cities, including Toronto and Ottawa, have received or are in line for huge sums from senior governments for convention facilities. And there hasn’t been a peep out of opposition critics. So what makes Windsor different, apart from its failure to elect Tories?
Speaking of hypocrisy, the Conservative regimes of Mike Harris and Eves bent over backward to boost casino gaming in Niagara Falls which, wonder of wonders, just happened to have Tory representation.
In 2003, months before the provincial election, Eves announced — to the consternation of some gaming officials — that Niagara Falls would become a two-casino city, with Casino Niagara staying open along with the glittering new Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort.
I’m curious. When will Tory, the Tory of Tories, denounce the $500 million Mike Harris committed to Toronto waterfront improvements? And when will he slam the $1.5 billion that the Duncan budget is expected to include for a 6.2-kilometre Toronto subway line extension?
Don’t hold your breath. The Toronto area has clout. It can make or break a government. Far better to focus on a soft and inviting target like Windsor where the political fallout is minimal.
You’re a big disappointment, Mr. Tory. You truly are.

[JBinCalgary]

good news on the casino expansion

[y2k_pony]

thanks for the read! Gord really hit the nail on the head with that article!

[FenderStrat]

I posted some digital camera pics of the casino construction earlier in this thread, and here are a few more:

http://home.cogeco.ca/~casino_construction/Casino_DC3.jpg

http://home.cogeco.ca/~casino_construction/Casino_DC4.jpg

http://home.cogeco.ca/~casino_construction/Casino_DC5.jpg

If you look closely in the last two pics you can see that work has started on the second floor of the underground parking structure. They still have a long way to go but the project seems to be progressing quicker now. Some days they work 24 hours, other days they have all their lights shut off by 7pm.

Anyway does anybody want me to continue posting these pics in here? I think they are much better to look at than the low res/unfocused webcam pics the casino itself provides, but if nobody cares about them then I won't go to the trouble of putting them on a hosting server.

[Blitz]

Yes, keep posting pics!!! They're much appreciated.

[FenderStrat]

Yes, keep posting pics!!! They're much appreciated.

Okay I didn't receive any comments on the other ones that I posted, so I thought I'd figure out if anyone actually was interested in the ones I was posting. I try to take a few more digital camera pics every few weeks, time and weather permitting. I also have archived webcam pics (as provided by casinowindsor.com) dating back to soil testing, and the erecting of the white construction wall. I don't have any pictures documenting the construction of the casino itself (digital cameras were pretty uncommon on the mid 90s), so I wanted to get a bunch of the various stages of construction of the expansion.

By the way, the Portofino project is coming along quite nicely! I drive by it almost every day but never have time to stop and take pictures of it. Soon I'll take some though, as they have made a lot of progress on it and things are starting to take shape.

[Blitz]

Yeah, if you could get pics of Portofino that would be great too.

[y2k_pony]

Anyway does anybody want me to continue posting these pics in here? I think they are much better to look at than the low res/unfocused webcam pics the casino itself provides, but if nobody cares about them then I won't go to the trouble of putting them on a hosting server.

yes please continue posting these pics. Alot of people on here I'm sure will enjoy them. BTW what kind of camera do you use?

[FenderStrat]

yes please continue posting these pics. Alot of people on here I'm sure will enjoy them. BTW what kind of camera do you use?

A Canon Powershot S200. Its 3.5 years old, but I'm still pleased with it. Those pictures are all resized to 800x600 to ease download times a bit. Why do you ask?

[y2k_pony]

Why do you ask?

the images turn out very clear. (also was looking at buying a new camera.)

[cujo8400]

Hey guys. My buddy Owen and I went around and snapped some pictures of the Casino construction site and the Portofino Condos. I'll post links for the pictures.

Portofino 1 (http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e379/cujo8400/100_1017.jpg)

Portofino 2 (http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e379/cujo8400/100_1016.jpg)

Casino 1 (http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e379/cujo8400/100_1009.jpg)

Casino 2 (http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e379/cujo8400/100_1008.jpg)

Casino 3 (http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e379/cujo8400/100_1007.jpg)

I also have some pics of the Nemak plant during the fire today. They aren't very exciting but if anybody feels like taking a look, you can check my entry into the Livejournal community of Windsor Users (http://community.livejournal.com/windsor_users/)

P.S. The Casino pics have a blueish tint because we took them through the glass of the hotel.

Enjoy.

Josh

[Blitz]

Thanks for showing those pics!

[cujo8400]

Yeah. I live right near there and I can't get over how fast they are constructing those floors. It is going to be a great looking building once it's fully completed.

[arnold]

hey, awesome pics cujo. thanks.

and i have to admit, that the downtown looks fairly impressive in that third casino shot. very dense, getting denser.

speaking of downtown, what's happening with the old armoury? have they decided on a new use for it yet?

[Blitz]

The armoury is still up in the air.

I heard something about a new office building proposed downtown at the old Central Chrysler site (Goyeau & Elliott).

[y2k_pony]

great pics. I was by the casino today and now the have the second crane up. This project is really starting to take shape!! Blitz, I heard about this but nothing has been released in the windsor star, there is also no signs on the property that prove this rumor is true.

[FenderStrat]

Hey Cujo I guess great minds think alike. Before seeing your pictures yesterday I went out and did the exact same thing (took some pics of Portofino and the Casino site). Your portofino pics are actually better than mine, so I won't bother posting mine since it would be redundant. However I thought I'd post my casino pics since they are 1-2 days newer than yours, and the second crane is assembled. They are working a lot quicker in that site now.

anyway here goes ..

http://home.cogeco.ca/~casino_construction/Casino_DC6.jpg
http://home.cogeco.ca/~casino_construction/Casino_DC7.jpg

[Blitz]

Great work with the pics guys!

More news....
The University of Windsor will be building a 5-storey residence hall in the 700 block of California Avenue. It will sit just south of the new Engineering building to be built at Wyandotte & California.

[cujo8400]

Those are great pics of the 2nd crane Fender. This project is going to start coming together crazily fast during the Summer. I guess that new Residence Hall is really great for the University too. Maybe it will entice more students to come to Windsor if they know that they'll be living in a new Residence:)

[westerntragedy]

Hey guys, I'm cujo8400's friend Owen. The two of us spent some time at the Portofino site yesterday, got some great pics.

It seems with each passing week the condo has an additional floor. The builder is moving quickly on this one (he's also going to be a resident)!

We also stopped by the Sales Office and met Gerry Pouget of Bob Pedler Realty. Gerry is the number one sales representative for the Portofino suites, and gave us some information on sales-to-date. As of yesterday afternoon, approx. 92 out of 125 condos in the 17 storey structure have been sold. Mr. Pouget also mentioned that the lower-end condos have moved up in price from $209,900 to ~$225,000. Heh, that and the single remaining 16th floor front-facing room is going for $800,000.

So here are the pics:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/wv060405portofino1.jpg
Portofino w/ Rusted Jesus Statue

Portofino Closeup (http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/dcims/b.jpg)

Portofino Side (http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/dcims/c.jpg)

Portofino Rear (http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/dcims/d.jpg)

Portofino Crane (http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/dcims/e.jpg)

Portofino (http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/dcims/f.jpg)

Sales Office Model from Front (http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/dcims/g.jpg)

Sales Office Model from Rear (http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/dcims/h.jpg)

[Blitz]

Nice, thanks a lot. This is the first time I've seen what the rear will look like and I'm not sure I like it. Hopefully this development will kickstart that part of town.

[arnold]

ugh... i pitty the poor residents who will have to stare at the back side of that building.
seriously though, would it have killed them to put a little more glass and a bit of shape into the south facing side? because my bet is that this will end up being a big eyesore for years to come. much like most of the new condos that went up further down riverside drive out by the ford plant. whenever i used to take the train into or out of the city, the backside view of those new condos was awful. very cheap and commie block looking.
the city should demand better of developers looking to build on such prime real estate.

[Blitz]

^What are your thoughts on the front?

Heh, about the only thing it beats is the back wall of the Hilton....at least with Portofino they threw some windows in.

[FenderStrat]

ugh... i pitty the poor residents who will have to stare at the back side of that building.
seriously though, would it have killed them to put a little more glass and a bit of shape into the south facing side? because my bet is that this will end up being a big eyesore for years to come. much like most of the new condos that went up further down riverside drive out by the ford plant. whenever i used to take the train into or out of the city, the backside view of those new condos was awful. very cheap and commie block looking.
the city should demand better of developers looking to build on such prime real estate.

Arnold I agree with you 100%. Cujo's pictures showed the "prettier" site of Portofino. Here is a picture of the back so that you guys can see exactly what Arnold is talking about.

http://home.cogeco.ca/~casino_construction/portofino1.jpg

Doesn't look like there will be any style whatsoever to the rear of the building and that's really unfortunate. The front should however look nice.


In other news, the construction workers at the casino have extended the site hoarding. Now Chatham St. is down to only one lane west of McDougall. I'm guessing this is so that they can park their supply trucks in there instead of in McDougall where they are rigiht now. This will enable them to start work on the tunnel below McDougall that will connect the underground parking below the new building to the underground parking of the existing building. This reasoning is pure speculation on my part, but I thought I would pass the word along though that Chatham St. is down to only one (very narrow) lane.

[arnold]

^What are your thoughts on the front?

Heh, about the only thing it beats is the back wall of the Hilton....at least with Portofino they threw some windows in.

i actually have a soft spot for the back of the hilton. i always pictured that more of a giant blank canvas for when the city gets large enough for mega oversized advertising. or maybe some kind of gigantic public art.

but when you put windows on the backside (a la portofino) there's not much you can do with it after that.

and just for the record, i think that the front will do nicely. its not the most cutting edge facade that i've ever seen, but then again, its simple and clean. i do think that it's a touch too tall. but that's just me.....

edit: is this the only high rise condo under construction in the city? i was just looking aroung on the london thread and there was an article about a forest of condo towers going up this year. any sign of this phenomenon spreading to windsor?

[westerntragedy]

Other Condo Projects? There's Club Lofts, which are in the "we are adding the loft parts to each... loft" phase right now. But that's not so much a 'construction' project as it is a total refitting of an existing building. And not exactly 'highrise' either heh. And there's also Crescent Condos going up at the old Crescent Lanes Bowling Alley site on the corner of Ottawa and Parent, but construction hasn't begun there yet.

Club Lofts as of yesterday:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/wv060406clublofts1.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/wv060406clublofts2.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j255/westerntragedy/wv060406clublofts3.jpg

[SteelTown]

Hey Portofino is nice! But the rear is well blah. Hope the rear isn't facing anything important.

[Blitz]

From what I can recall, the back faces an old rail yard that has been converted to a walking trail / greenspace. It's in a really old and somewhat dilapidated part of town halfway between downtown and the university.

[Blitz]

College, city near Cleary deal
St. Clair would take ‘financial albatross’ off municipality’s hands

By Dave Hall
The Windsor Star
Apr. 19, 2006


A tentative agreement turning over operations of the Cleary International Centre to St. Clair College and bringing hundreds of students into the downtown is expected to go before city council within two weeks, Mayor Eddie Francis said Tuesday.
Administrators from the city and college met Tuesday to discuss the final legal details and Francis said the agreement would go before council “as soon as possible.
“We had hoped to have it completed by now, but the recent strike at the college shut everything down and set us behind schedule,” said Francis. “The substantive parts of the agreement were included among the parameters set down by council when these discussions began and should not come as any surprise.”
College president John Strasser said, “We hope to have something ready for council by the end of April providing the minor details are worked out and then it’s up to council to decide.”

If approved by council, the agreement will enable the college to take over the underutilized Cleary International Centre and allow the city to rid itself of almost $800,000 in annual subsidies.
“Such an agreement will enable us to remove that financial albatross while at the same time bringing some more vitality to downtown,” said Coun. Alan Halberstadt.
Francis said he couldn’t divulge any details of the agreement until it has gone before council.
Francis and Strasser are expected to speak at today’s annual general meeting of the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association, but it’s unlikely that any announcements will be made regarding the agreement.
Strasser said between 500 and 1,000 students would be involved in programs including marketing, creative and graphic arts, hospitality, culinary arts and journalism as well as entertainment technology.
“If we’re able to offer hands-on training, partnerships and internships with downtown businesses in a setting such as the Cleary, it would be unique among Canadian colleges,” Strasser said. “For example, we’re in the middle of launching a production in a makeshift theatre at the college which seats 55.
“Can you imagine the tremendous selling point the Chrysler Theatre would be instead?”

Mark Boscariol, chairman of the DWBIA, said the long-anticipated agreement and the addition of students into the city centre would “generate a buzz and excitement about downtown that we can build on.
“We’ve already had a meeting of a task force specifically set up to work on collaborative partnerships between the BIA and the college,” Boscariol said on the eve of the DWBIA’s annual general meeting. “There are any numbers of ways they could participate including helping with marketing, our business recruitment literature and our downtown host program.”
“We’ve been looking for an anchor and some additional life for the west side of downtown and this could be it,” said Coun. Ron Jones, in whose ward the Cleary lies. “It would be a nice fit for everyone concerned.”
Strasser said that discussions have already been held with property owners in the city core over parking and residential options for students and staff.
He said some teachers have told him that “if we’re going to be teaching downtown then we might as well look for housing downtown and that’s a large part of why we embarked upon these discussions in the first place.”

[Blitz]

double post

[Michi]

^
sounds cool. in fact, i'd really like to see a photo of that view. might anyone oblige?
Oh, I just meant the casino tower when it will be finished. It will look cool from Detroit when it's done. I like how the slender side of the tower will be facing the river. I'll be sure to take plenty of photos when it starts to rise up.

[arnold]

all of those students will definatley have a positive impact on the downtown core.

BTW, does anyone have the stats that show how many people currently live/work in DT windsor? i mean, just how will this influx of students relate to the total? didn't the chrysler move bring something like 800 people downtown? because if that's the case, this college thing could be really big...

[Blitz]

I've never seen stats on how many people work or live there. Hopefully this will provide a kickstart to the urban village plans as well since an arena seems to be less and less likely downtown.

[Blitz]

Market planned for core

By Dave Hall
The Windsor Star
Apr. 20, 2006

After an absence of almost 10 years, Windsor may again have a downtown farmers market.
Corey Versnel, chairman of the Essex County Associated Growers, said a market in the former University Avenue West armouries building is “an idea with a lot of potential,” providing the produce is locally grown.

The proposed seasonal market is a business venture of the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association, which has arranged to rent space in the city-owned armouries Fridays and Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. from the end of May until the Labour Day weekend.
Judith Veresuk, executive director of the DWBIA, said the proposed market “is in response to suggestions and feedback from people across the community who have said they would like to see a farmers market downtown again.”
But Jan Wilson, executive director of leisure and recreation services for the city, said there has yet to be final approval of the market, so making an announcement is “a little premature.”
The former downtown city market, adjacent to Casino Windsor, closed in 1997 and is now the site of a $400-million casino, hotel and concert venue expansion.

Market Square on Walker Road at Ottawa Street replaced the former downtown market.
“I don’t really think it will draw much vendor business from the existing market at Market Square because it’s only open two days a week and most of the Market Square vendors have established customers on a sixday basis,” said Versnel. “I could see someone operating a second stand at the new market but again, you’d need the staff.”
Veresuk said the DWBIA is being asked to pay $19,200 for 32 market days in the armouries, a cost which will be shared by the 17 to 20 vendors expected to set up stalls once the market opens.
Veresuk said city officials have said they may offer a reduced rent because “we’re taking 32 days off their plate and, if that’s the case, we’ll pass the savings on to our vendors in the form of lower rates.
“This isn’t a money-making venture,” said Veresuk. “We’re attempting to bring some foot traffic back into the core and it’s an idea that has been considered for quite a while.”

Vendors will be limited to those selling fruit, vegetables, baked goods and flowers. “We can’t accommodate meat and cheese vendors because of refrigeration issues,” said Veresuk.
The city has made the armouries available for public rentals since it assumed ownership from the federal government while it considers more permanent uses for the 104-year-old building.
Versnel said the concept would only work if area farmers have the workers and equipment available during a busy summer.
“And one of the problems you occasionally run into at markets is the sale of out-of-country produce and to me, the whole point of a farmer’s market is to sell local, fresh produce,” said Versnel. “If that happens, there’s no reason why it won’t work.”
Market Square management couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.

[upinottawa]

The Cleary plan is an excellent idea. It would be wonderful for the University to offer classes downtown, too. Students definitely add to the vitality of a downtown, especially those who choose to live near where they study. Queen's University and its proximity to downtown Kingston is a wonderful example of a university student body contributing to a vibrant downtown.

I know that there are concerns about parking downtown now that the extra students will be at the Cleary. Has the College looked at a universal bus pass for its students? Transit Windsor could offer increased service from downtown to the College proper (potentially even express service). I know that the University students voted down a universal pass, but has this initiative been brought before the College students?

As for the downtown market: I believe that is the best use of the armouries and the city should close down Freedom Way while the market is open.

[upinottawa]

From today's Windsor Star. I may be wrong, but I don't think the Byward Market vendors in Ottawa have their own hand washing stations.

Rethink market

Gord Henderson, Windsor Star
Published: Saturday, April 22, 2006

Holy smoked salami. Here we go again.

That was my gut reaction this week when, out of the blue, the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association announced plans to open a farmers market by the end of May in the city-owned armouries.

The news, unveiled at the association's annual meeting, took a lot of folks by surprise, including Mayor Eddie Francis and senior city officials, and had critics like John Fairley, former Market Square manager, and yours truly, racing for the ramparts.

Good grief, I groaned. What does it take to keep a dumb idea dead and buried? This battle was decided nine years ago when city residents told councillors they didn't want their tax dollars spent on a downtown market building that would compete with private sector plans for a market in a vacant plant at Walker and Ottawa.

On April Fool's Day in 1997, council shelved plans for a $7.6-million market east of city hall. Several councillors said they were bowing to overwhelming public pressure and one, Donna Gamble, blamed me and The Star's editorial board for orchestrating public opposition to the "most well thought out" document she'd seen during her years on council.

The wisdom of that retreat became evident a month later when Market Square opened to huge crowds and its success triggered business investments that resurrected a forlorn section of Walker Road.

What concerns me is that the armouries plan, although it sounds like it's been whipped up on the back of a beer coaster, could be a test run for a larger scheme involving city assistance. As Coun. David Cassivi put it back in 1997 when he voted against the downtown market, a future council could "resurrect" the plans.

TRICKY BUSINESS

Fairley, a cable TV host and bingo industry representative, questions whether the initiative's backers understand just how tricky it is to get a farmers market up and running.

"You can't do it like we used to do it," said Fairley, explaining that Market Square had to close its tent operation because of costly health unit requirements that included hand-washing and produce-washing sinks at each vendor outlet. It's no longer a matter of throwing cabbages on portable tables and declaring yourself open for business.

If cheese or meat were to be included, said Fairley, costs would skyrocket. "Where's your refrigerators? Where's your temperature gauges? Where's the parking? What about the loading docks? Who's going to pay for the (daily) cleanup? Where's the garbage going to be kept?"

It better not be Windsor taxpayers picking up the tab. Fairley, who was bending ears, including those of the mayor, following the announcement Wednesday, said he's no longer concerned this will evolve into a debate between competing market views.

I'm not so sure. Mark Boscariol, association chairman, told me Friday his group has five vendors lined up and hopes to have 17 on -oard for the grand opening.

"We'll be less than half the size of Market Square and will have less than half the choice," said Boscariol. "It's really a temporary thing just to get it going." He defended the initiative as "private business" paid for by association members rather than taxpayers and noted that anyone could rent the armouries. "We're not inventing the wheel. Maybe we'll screw it up but I'm not going to back down," he vowed.

Fairley would like to see the business association go way beyond selling zucchinis in a dingy armouries.

"Be creative. We know festivals work in this city," said Fairley, explaining that Charles Clark Square, which is all but abandoned once the ice goes out, should be turned into an open-air "green market" Thursday and Friday afternoons and evenings in the summer.

He envisions a weekly happening involving area musicians, the local arts and crafts community, downtown restaurants, flower peddlers and other vendors that would create an ideal place for mingling and sipping.

"You need an experience to bring them downtown. Build on the Maiden Lane success," said Fairley. He said the square is ideal, given that it already has an amphitheatre, washrooms and concessions.

That's creative thinking. And it stands head and shoulders over the association's dubious plan to use dirt-cheap rent (about $600 a day) on a city-owned building to compete with a tax-paying private sector in the fruit and vegetable business.

Back to the drawing boards.

ghenderson@thestar.canwest.com

© The Windsor Star 2006

[arnold]

gord henderson is a blow-hard and a terrible writer, to boot. i mean, come on... couldn't he get someone a little less biased than the former Market Square manager to interview for the article?

and why does he feel the need to waste ink railing against something as unobjectionable as a simple downtown farmers market? what's his gripe? that's it going to be held in the armoury? big deal. and what would the difference be if they decided to hold it in Charles Clark Square? how would that change his objections?

all i know is that we have a very successful weekend farmers market down here in san diego, and the people of windsor would be lucky to have something comparable. and contrary to the article, it really is just a bunch of people throwing their produce down on some portable tables and waiting for customers.

as for his complaint that it would be competing with the market square... from what i can remember the 'market square' up on walker road isn't really a farmers market at all. its more of a "st. lawrence market" or "granville market" type of venue that sells all types of foods, year round. hardly the same thing as what's being proposed here.

[Blitz]

I usually agree with Gord, but not so much on this market issue.

As for the college, the deal is pretty much done - it should bring in the range of 800 students downtown. upinottawa, I don't think there has ever been a bus pass consideration at the college. Speaking of buses, construction should begin on the new downtown bus depot soon.

[arnold]

^
that's good news. that old station was awful. where's the new one going? will it be the new greyhound station as well? and are there any plans for the old station yet?

[Blitz]

There aren't plans for the old bus station, hopefully they tear down that piece of crap as soon as possible.

The new one is being built at Dougall and Chatham (where the old Canadian Tire store was). Greyhound will be housed there as well.

[arnold]

have they released any drawings of the new station?

that old station location would be a great place for a new highrise condo building. that is, as long as the tunnel vent doesn't smog the place up too much...

[upinottawa]

have they released any drawings of the new station?

that old station location would be a great place for a new highrise condo building. that is, as long as the tunnel vent doesn't smog the place up too much...

A new arena, perhaps? :)

I also wonder what they are going to do with the old bus station site. Obviously, they will remove any reminder of the ugly old station.

I have not seen any renderings of the new station, however I do recall hearing that the station will be smaller than originally planned (Greyhound will not have its own booth, rather Transit Windsor will sell Greyhound tickets).

Its too bad that the City could not have combined its new transit centre and Greyhound operations with a new downtown Via Station....

[westerntragedy]

Its too bad that the City could not have combined its new transit centre and Greyhound operations with a new downtown Via Station....

Yes! Ha! That would be nice, but more trains running through the city, ack.

Speaking of trains, I hear from a friend that construction on the rail overpass on Walker Road is about to begin for real this time. Friend said he heard the man who owns the battery store finally settled for half a million. Anyone have any news about this? It's probably old news, hah, but I just heard it so.. heh

[upinottawa]

Rumour has it that the federal government will purchase the rail line that Via uses (owned by CN) and then abandon that line. Via will then run its trains on the line that runs past the Windsor Airport. The new Windsor station will be located at the Airport or off of Wellington somewhere near the train tunnel to Detroit.

Anyone else have more details or better information?

[westerntragedy]

Yes indeed, there was an article in the Windsor Star back in (January was it?) when the news broke about this. Suggestions in the article were that the old VIA line may become a public walk/bike path (hah imagine Windsor's riverfront continuing to Chatham -- Chrysler Canada Trail outdone by lakeside beauty I say!). I thought I remember reading that portions may also be used as a local road or a more express county route.. Alas that's the only info I remember from the article, maybe someone else has some links or more detail

[upinottawa]

Removing those tracks should significantly increase property values along the Lake and should promote a sharp increase in development or redevelopment in that part of the county.

A new trail in the city would add to the quality of life in the east end.

I wonder if there have been any discussions with what will become of the land currently occupied by the Ford Casting Plant when it shuts down. That land must be rather polluted, but the right redevelopment projects could inject some much needed life to that part of town.

[upinottawa]

Arnold, there are two possible locations: the airport, and Wellington Road near Wyandotte. They'll be abandoning the whole rail line from Windsor to Chatham since it's only being used by Via. I see your point about the station needing to be near downtown but I think the benefits of this plan are huge. We'll get rid of dozens of at-grade crossings in Windsor/Essex, and the east side of the metro will no longer be cut in half by these tracks.

The only sensible use for the old rail line IMO is a bike path. The current path that meanders along the river ends at Walker Road and the Ganatchio Trail ends at Lauzon Road. So all we'd need to do is connect those two through the use of this line and we'd have a 20km crosstown bike path from the Bridge all the way to the east city limits. There has been some talk of light rail but I'm not sure the market is big enough to support that. Anyway, here's an article that appeared this morning:



Via Rail scouts Windsor site
Options include area near airport and old depot near Wellington Road

By Dave Battagello
The Windsor Star
Jan. 21, 2006

Via Rail has been scouting possible sites for a new rail station in Windsor, according to a spokeswoman for the passenger service.
“We are looking at a number of options, but no decision has been made,” said Catherine Kaloutsky.
“We recognize with the Windsor station there is a need to upgrade and improve. But no decisions have been made on relocation.”
A $500-million federal plan calls for the 90-kilometre CN rail line used largely by Via passenger trains between Windsor and Chatham to be abandoned.
The government funds will twin a CP Railway line from two to four tracks and construct several road-rail grade separations to help increase the speed of both freight and passenger service. Work is expected to be completed within about five years.
Relocation of the Via station in Walkerville is part of the plan. A site near the airport and the old CP Rail depot near Wellington Avenue close to the entrance of the Detroit River rail tunnel are among options being discussed, sources said.
“There are a few options out there,” Kaloutsky said. “We’re in a position where we are looking at the possibilities and talking to CP. We are looking for solutions that will allow us to provide downtown service to customers.”
A cargo facility at the airport where air, rail and truck freight can be exchanged will also become a reality under the deal.
Construction and servicing of the property off Lauzon Parkway where the CP tracks cut through the airport’s northeast corner has an estimated cost of $30 million to $40 million, according to city officials.
The feds and the city are negotiating who will pay those costs.
A federal cabinet minister said the railway agreement is “not a question of if, but when.”
“There have been a lot of talks between Transport Canada, the mayor and myself on the (cargo facility) and rail consolidation,” said MP Joe Fontana, the labour and housing minister from London.
“It’s going well. No doubt it’s an incredible opportunity for Windsor. We are going to make it happen. We need to make sure Windsor is operating effectively as it can. Rail is a very important part of that.”
A solution has been agreed upon by the railways, city and feds, but final terms continue to be negotiated, the minister said.
“It’s an opportunity for win-win for everybody,” Fontana said. “Windsor is an important gateway to North America. We need to make sure it functions well. It’s never been a question of money, but a question of doing it right.”

With respect to the rail line question, I should have done more browsing -- this was found on page one of this thread.

If Windsor's only train station will be at the airport, I think that would be horrible. It would make it very expensive for students to get to the train station, making it more difficult for St. Clair and U of W to attract students from the GTA and beyond.

I would prefer the station to be downtown, i.e. near the tunnel, especially if Via wants to connect with Amtrak trains out of Detroit heading to Chicago. Could Windsor support two stations -- one downtown and one at the airport? I think the answer to that is no, especially since Chatham captures a lot of the Essex County passengers.

[upinottawa]

City boosts urban village

Roseann Danese, Windsor Star
Published: Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Developers willing to build an urban village on and around the long-vacant Western Super Anchor site will be offered financial incentives to make something happen.

Sixteen years after the property was expropriated for an arena and multi-use centre, the land will now be the subject of an urban renewal plan that has been in the works for three years.

"Sixteen years of indecision on this property has put city centre west in the position of needing your help," Mark Boscariol, chairman of the Downtown Windsor BIA, told city council Monday.

"The land we are talking about has been tied up for 16 years," he said.

"It has prevented growth in the surrounding community due to a lack of a clear vision for over a decade."

The public will have an opportunity to comment on the incentives for the next 20 days. Following that, the city will seek provincial approval.

Mayor Eddie Francis described an urban village as a district within the city that is redeveloped "to include a number of different uses." The uses can include residential development, in the form of both highrise buildings and town homes, as well as commercial development, "all within the same area that is supported by transit, that's supposed to be pedestrian-friendly."

Developers would be rewarded based on how well their ideas reflect the city's vision for the urban village in the city centre. Those submitting "gold" level design plans will receive the most in incentives, such as rebates on development fees and building permit fees. There will also be silver and bronze design levels that will "unlock" the incentives, Francis said. "You're trying to encourage people to come forward."

Francis said the bulk of the fees will be rebates because municipalities are not allowed under the provisions of the Municipal Act to offer cash to private developers. The city is also willing to cap property taxes for 10 years on the new development, allowing developers to pay taxes on the property's value as it existed before it was developed.

The city will also pay half of five feasibility studies, up to $20,000 for each one, required by developers to decide whether the project is worth pursuing.

"This type of package is meant to entice the type of development we're looking for, the development of the urban village," Francis said.

"By telling developers what we're looking for and then matching that performance with incentives, that's going to be sufficient enough for them to come forward and develop the lands," he said.

"It's providing them the incentive without costing us anything to actually get it done."

Boscariol said financial incentives offered to developers in Niagara Falls, North Bay, London and Toronto have "paid for themselves" and resulted in revitalization in downtown areas and elsewhere.

© The Windsor Star 2006

[arnold]

i hope that they go really dense in this area. and not necessarily with a bunch of highrises, but condos and town homes with street level retail. something with the feel (but not look) of a whistler village would do quite nicely, IMO.
oh, and underground parking please...

[Blitz]

^ I get the sense that's what they're thinking with this. Just two years ago, Windsor set up an entire Urban Design Planning agenda: http://www.citywindsor.ca/001840.asp
Any new construction in town has to conform to this agenda...e.g. the new retail complex currently going up at Walker & Tecumseh is much closer to the road then it would've been under previous administrations.

[upinottawa]

^ which corner of Tecumseh and Walker (I know there are gas stations at two of those corners)? What is going in there?

I wonder how many residential units will be added to downtown via the urban village. From my experience in Ottawa, these new units will not come cheap. I wonder who will be the target audience? Students (probably too expensive for most students unless Windsor gets a "real" full-scale medical school)? Empty nest-ers? Young professionals (what is the job market like for young professionals in Windsor)? Young Canadians working in Detroit?

Ultimately, I think this is a good idea as more people downtown will diversify the area and hopefully bring in new retail. I just hope the market exists for this project.

Any renderings for that transit centre?

[Blitz]

They tore down the gas station and the plaza that were on the NW corner of Tec & Walker and are building some sort of retail complex (I can't remember what's going in there though).

Haven't seen any renderings for the bus depot yet.

[yupislyr]

They tore down the gas station and the plaza that were on the NW corner of Tec & Walker and are building some sort of retail complex (I can't remember what's going in there though).



At least part of it is a new Bank of Montreal branch. They may end up consolidating other branches into the new one similarly to what CIBC has done in the east end.

[upinottawa]

The following link has some discussion of the new Windsor bus terminal (along with a link to some pictures of the old Detroit Fort Street Greyhound station).

http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/5/71242.html?1146013946

[arnold]

the news on that link doesn't sound very promising...

[upinottawa]

the news on that link doesn't sound very promising...

Yah. Unfortunately in today's political environment it is easier to build on the cheap than build a landmark that promotes civic pride.

Ideally, I would have liked to see a Via/Greyhound/Transit Windsor station, but that would involve a lot of intergovernmental agreement.

About the current bus station: when I am in Windsor with friends from out of town, I will usually take them over to Detroit for a game or to show them downtown. In doing so, I prefer to take the tunnel bus. However, in doing so they get to experience Windsor's bus station, and -- as anyone who has ever been done there can attest -- the station is so ugly and dirty (never mind the state of the bathrooms) that it is an embarrassment to the City of Windsor.

The city needs to recognize that a lot of people from out of town take the tunnel bus and the quality of the bus station creates a lasting impression.

[Blitz]

^ I'm going to a Tigers game with some people from out of town next month and while I usually take the tunnel bus, I'm driving them over instead - all because I'd rather not subject them to Windsor's disgusting bus station.

[arnold]

^can't you catch the tunnel bus anywhere else on the windsor side? like at the mouth of the tunnel or something?