WINDSOR | Construction - News and Development - Page 76

South248 · #**1501** Posted: **Jul 29, 2012, 2:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Symz

I heard it's a Rexall.

Good stuff, I've been waiting for a Rexall in this end of the city. I know they had one planned for the corner of Lauzon/Little River a few years back, but then it was postponed for some reason or another.

FenderStrat · #**1502** Posted: **Jul 29, 2012, 3:07 PM**

Nice to see the old camera shop downtown getting redeveloped, I just wish it was for the purpose of retail.

A lot of the vacant store fronts downtown seem to be starting to fill in. If you are hungry and want some dinner, downtown is a great place to go as you have literally dozens of great choices, but there's still almost no retail.

I lived downtown from 2002-2003. Back then, downtown was considered to be in rough shape, but at least there were still some interesting retail options even that recently, even after the Norwich block was gone (ie The Book Mark, Turek, Nut House, Freyja, just to name a few that are long gone).

Now days, what retail options are there that would actually draw people downtown? I guess BB Branded is fairly popular.

Symz · #**1503** Posted: **Jul 29, 2012, 9:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by South248

Good stuff, I've been waiting for a Rexall in this end of the city. I know they had one planned for the corner of Lauzon/Little River a few years back, but then it was postponed for some reason or another.

Lauzon & Little River now has a Guardian pharmacy.

Symz · #**1504** Posted: **Jul 29, 2012, 10:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FenderStrat

Nice to see the old camera shop downtown getting redeveloped, I just wish it was for the purpose of retail.

A lot of the vacant store fronts downtown seem to be starting to fill in. If you are hungry and want some dinner, downtown is a great place to go as you have literally dozens of great choices, but there's still almost no retail.

I lived downtown from 2002-2003. Back then, downtown was considered to be in rough shape, but at least there were still some interesting retail options even that recently, even after the Norwich block was gone (ie The Book Mark, Turek, Nut House, Freyja, just to name a few that are long gone).

Now days, what retail options are there that would actually draw people downtown? I guess BB Branded is fairly popular.

For retail downtown there is BB Branded, Awesome (women's clothes), Shanfield's , a fur place on University, a nail shop, a salon, an eyeglass place, skateboard shop, some sort of a dollar store at Wyandotte & Ouellette, another dollar store,Shoppers, Dr. Disc, a clothing boutique in the Scotia Bank, some cigar shops, Pete's Pipes, Maxine's, some tattoo places, Cash Converters and some sort of a seed store?

Whew, I ought be forgetting something, there are also some dry cleaners downtown.

We do have some shops but ofcourse we could always do better and I would like to see some bigger branded stores locate in the city centre. I don't think we'll see a more recognizeable retailer for some time, not until there is a bigger critical mass of people downtown. The commercial tax rates are still too high and the residential rental vacancies too high as well.

I would like to see some sort of office supply store open downtown. My wife works downtown and says currently there is no such place to get office supplies in a pinch. With the arrival of the college and university downtown I think a store like this could be a nice fit. Also I think a hardware store would be good downtown for the very same reasons.

South248 · #**1505** Posted: **Jul 30, 2012, 2:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Symz

Lauzon & Little River now has a Guardian pharmacy.

It does? I know Lauzon and Riverside Drive does now.

Symz · #**1506** Posted: **Jul 30, 2012, 3:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by South248

It does? I know Lauzon and Riverside Drive does now.

Sorry, that's what I meant to say.

Symz · #**1507** Posted: **Jul 30, 2012, 3:43 PM**

Construction will be starting soon on St. Clair College's Healthplex.

source: http://windsorite.ca/2012/07/constru...ge-healthplex/

Quote:

Construction is about to get underway on the new St. Clair College HealthPlex at the Windsor Campus, with the facility scheduled to open in January 2014.

The new building will have a triple gymnasium, fitness centre, a walking track, classrooms and more.

Check out the virtual rendering of St. Clair College’s HealthPlex at South Campus below.

• Video Link

Symz · #**1508** Posted: **Jul 30, 2012, 3:47 PM**

Structural steel is finally going up on the Aquatic Centre!

north 42 · #**1509** Posted: **Jul 30, 2012, 5:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Symz

Structural steel is finally going up on the Aquatic Centre!

Yeah, I just saw that this morning when I was walking by. I also noticed a new business opening up in Victoria Park Place condominiums, a new jewellery store fronting Park St. Nice to see new retail opening up in the core.

South248 · #**1510** Posted: **Jul 30, 2012, 11:03 PM**

How's the redevelopment coming along at the former Zellers on Huron Church? I haven't been out that way in a long time, so I'm curious if FreshCo plans to keep the former K-Mart exterior that Zellers had, or if the front is changing completely.

Symz · #**1511** Posted: **Jul 30, 2012, 11:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by South248

How's the redevelopment coming along at the former Zellers on Huron Church? I haven't been out that way in a long time, so I'm curious if FreshCo plans to keep the former K-Mart exterior that Zellers had, or if the front is changing completely.

Drove past it the other day and it looks like the front is getting completely stripped down and redone.

Symz · #**1512** Posted: **Aug 1, 2012, 9:04 PM**

A snapshot of the aquatic centre progress.

source webcam: http://www.citywindsor.ca/mayorandco...ex-Camera.aspx

FenderStrat · #**1513** Posted: **Aug 5, 2012, 4:48 PM**

An interesting development involving the old GM plant on walker.

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/08...bage-facility/

I have no doubt that the NIMBYS will kill this long before construction even starts.

What do you guys think?

Symz · #**1514** Posted: **Aug 5, 2012, 7:20 PM**

Unconfirmed at this time.

http://www.windsorstar.com/property+...953/story.html

Quote:

General Motors Canada on Sunday issued the following statement with regard to a story indicating its 46-acre industrial property, which once housed the GM Trim Plant, had been sold to an Amherstburg demolition company:

Letter to the Editor of the Windsor Star

Re: GM plant story on August 3, 2012

The story published about the sale of GM's facility in Windsor is incorrect. The property has not been sold, although a number of parties have expressed interest in the site. Any speculation about one successful bidder is premature and inaccurate. GM is working closely with the City of Windsor and other local stakeholders to identify the best future use for the site and an appropriate purchaser.

Faye Roberts

Communications Director, GM Canada

Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/property+...#ixzz22hX84Pi9

Symz · #**1515** Posted: **Aug 15, 2012, 5:50 PM**

Maybe some good news?

source: http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/08/15/48643/

Quote:

A buyer is expected to sign documents closing the sale of the former Grace Hospital site and pay the city $1.2 million in back taxes, according to Tony Battaglia, president of Westpark Developments, which holds the largest mortgage on the property.

“The property is being sold under property of sale,” he said. “It’s an out-of-town buyer. The deal is scheduled to close on Friday at which point the city taxes will be paid in full.”

Battaglia said he is not at liberty to disclose the plans for the site. “All I can say is the buyer has plans to redevelop the site. Verbal indications were they plan to start immediately.”

The city listed the property for sale after the owner of the property failed to meet a June 30 deadline to pay the back taxes. The city listed the property for sale and will open the sealed bids on Tuesday. If Battaglia’s sale closes on Friday, the bids will remain sealed and returned to the bidders, according to city officials.

More than $880,000 in back taxes is owed on the hospital portion of the site and a further $360,000 on 10 residential development sites at the south end of the property.

The property’s owner, Windsor developer Lou Vozza, lost control of the lands due to financial troubles and the property fell into Battaglia’s control. Records show he supplied Vozza with a $1.2-million mortgage for the Grace site.

He has listed spending over $250,000 in cleanup efforts at the site.

Vozza no longer has any connection to the property or its fate, Battaglia said.

Should the Grace sale be finalized it will bring “mixed feelings” for Battaglia.

“I’m glad to see something finally happen,” he said. “But at the same time I know a lot of money has been lost by a lot of people on this, including myself. This is the best possible outcome given the limited time given to us by the mayor and the city.”

Grace closed as a hospital on Feb. 1, 2004.

Vozza was among a group who purchased the property soon afterwards. The Ontario Ministry of Health in 2007 selected Grace as the site of a $35-million, 256-bed long-term care facility with Vozza as the developer.

Vozza did not move forward with construction of the long-term care facility and the cavernous building became a dilapidated eyesore raising anger in the community.

After numerous delays and missed deadlines, the province in June 2011 terminated the contract with Vozza and the city put a lien on the property.

Schlegel Holdings is now building the long-term care facility on the grounds of St. Clair College.

More to come…

Symz · #**1516** Posted: **Aug 19, 2012, 5:11 AM**

Pics by me taken a few days ago.

Symz · #**1517** Posted: **Aug 22, 2012, 6:01 PM**

Hello?

Echo??

north 42 · #**1518** Posted: **Aug 22, 2012, 8:54 PM**

Yeah, pretty dead around here lately!

Symz · #**1519** Posted: **Aug 23, 2012, 3:52 AM**

We need to build more stuff.

Riversideguy · #**1520** Posted: **Aug 23, 2012, 12:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Symz

We need to build more stuff.

Hopefully we will get to see some action at the grace site soon.

Does anyone else wonder why Leamington and Essex got a Dollar Tree, but not windsor. HHHMMMM!!!