WINDSOR | Construction - News and Development

[westerntragedy]

Originally Posted by upinottawa

^ I find a lot of non-Windsorites who have been to Windsor in the last 5-10 years seem to be aware of Crabby Dick's.

However, obviously "awareness" was not enough to keep that place in business.

Well that building finally realized that its true calling was NOT a restaurant! Can't imagine what it looks like inside now though.. an X-Ray place replacing a bar? Drink and an X-Ray to go? Augh..

[arnold]

Originally Posted by y2k_pony

Its situated in the shorter part of the Chysler Building complex. It faces the river and is right beside the cleary. I also know a girl who works there, She says that they are going building a huge patio out there as well! In similar news; the city is going to announce soon the final tennant for the Chysler building. The finally got that damn thing full!

that's great news. so, have they filled in all of the ground level retail or are you just talking about the office block?

does anyone have any pictures of that area that they would be willing to post?

[upinottawa]

New tunnel plaza unveiled to public

Dave Battagello, Windsor Star
Published: Wednesday, July 19, 2006

An estimated $30-million plaza expansion for the Windsor-Detroit tunnel that will see a portion of Goyeau Street closed to local traffic will be unveiled next week.

An open house will be held next Wednesday between 4 and 8 p.m. at the Cleary International Centre where local residents can view the anticipated improvements.

Plans for the new plaza will see it expand across Goyeau Avenue to the east and also along Wyandotte Street East to Windsor Avenue. A highrise business and condominium building on Windsor will not be affected by the expansion.

"Our focus is to remove the queuing from city streets and contain it within the plaza itself," said Doug MacRae, project leader and senior project engineer for Ontario's Ministry of Transportation. "That will be the main benefit."

Under the preliminary plan, Goyeau would be permanently closed to local traffic between Park and Wyandotte, with the new main entrance into the tunnel plaza off Wyandotte.

That stretch of roadway is often closed to local traffic during peak use of the tunnel at rush hour on weekdays or on weekends because of lineups.

Project leaders for the tunnel plaza expansion reached their preferred alternative after narrowing down a short list following an open house in February.

A final public information session will be held sometime this fall as called for under the environmental assessment process.

The team will spend the remainder of the year completing the improvement plan, while the next phase in 2007 will involve design work and property acquisition, MacRae said.

Construction is unlikely to begin until at least 2009 and will take about two years to complete.

The city will pay one-third of the expansion cost, with the provincial and federal governments paying the remainder out of their joint $300-million border infrastructure commitment to Windsor.

MAYORS' SUMMIT

More than 60 mayors and government officials from both sides of the border will be in Windsor Thursday to discuss an American plan to require passports or smart cards to enter the U.S. The event is being co-hosted by Mayor Eddie Francis, Toronto Mayor David Miller and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. The mayors fear trade and tourism will be harmed by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

© The Windsor Star 2006

[upinottawa]

Dalson Chen, Windsor Star
Published: Thursday, July 27, 2006

Engineers have narrowed plans for an expanded downtown tunnel plaza to two options, both of which will permanently close Goyeau Street between Wyandotte and Park streets.

"It has a minimal impact on surrounding intersections," assured project leader and senior Ontario Ministry of Transportation engineer Doug MacRae. "There will be an overall benefit on traffic in the area due to the removal of queuing on city streets."

A co-operative effort between municipal, provincial and federal governments, the $30-million project is meant to improve efficiency, address safety issues, and reduce line-ups at the Canadian mouth of the Windsor-Detroit tunnel.

At a public information session on Wednesday, project leaders revealed their final pair of proposed designs, boiled down from a list of six alternatives.

The first option involves turning Goyeau Street into the footprint of the tunnel plaza, with the queue lanes running north and south.

The second option would have the queue lanes stretch eastward to McDougall Street, sealing off Windsor Avenue at Wyandotte Street East.

In both cases, the main entrance to the tunnel would occupy where Goyeau Street currently meets Wyandotte Street East.

"Between the two options, there are trade-offs," MacRae said.

According to the ministry's research, the closing of Goyeau Street would increase traffic congestion at only one downtown intersection -- Ouellette Avenue and University Avenue. "It's a decrease in the level of service there," MacRae admitted.

The project will begin the environmental clearance process and property acquisition in 2007, with about two years of construction expected to begin by early 2009.

CONFLICTING VIEWS

The potential increase in traffic is fine with Mark Boscariol, chairman of the Downtown BIA board of directors and owner of restaurants and cafes close to the intersection. "The more traffic we get, the more chances we have for people to come into our businesses."

But Daphne Clarke, a member of the St. Alphonsus parish on Park Street, said the first option will undoubtedly increase traffic near the church -- which she has attended regularly for 36 years. "You can't have funerals or weddings with all that traffic coming out of the tunnel. It's just total confusion. We can't give up anymore space," she said.

© The Windsor Star 2006

____________________________________________

Any thoughts or opinions about the these options?

[arnold]

this sounds like it could be good news, and i'm glad that they're going to do something to fix the traffic problem. goyeau street has always been a sort of dead-zone for buisnesses because of the traffic dog-pile, so its not like the community would loose all that much. so bring on the tunnel toll fare hikes!

but i'm not really clear on whether or not any buildings would have to be removed for either of these plans...

[yupislyr]

I'm not sure exactly what options the city has narrowed it down to yet since the city hasn't posted the latest information on their website yet but you can view the 6 options they presented at their February information centre in this document: http://www.citywindsor.ca/documents/...ionCentre1.pdf

In each one of the concept plans, all the businesses along the east side of Goyeau would be taken out.

In a couple of the alternatives, the roadway would extend east along Wyandotte and would take out all the businesses from Goyeau to McDougall

[arnold]

sooo... does that mean that there are plans to tear down the beer store on the corner? sacrilege!

[Blitz]

There's that Burger King and Japanese restaurant on Goyeau too (not sure if the latter is still open though).

[Border City Boy]

The Japanese restaurant has been closed for a few years. The Tunnel Duty Free Store owns or leases the building and uses it for storage.

[scarab]

Originally Posted by upinottawa

Looking at the Google map, the area of the city where Wyandotte ends is a bit odd. It appears (from the sat. image) to be part park land and part farm land. I might be wrong.

It appears like there is great development potential in that area. Regardless, moving traffic from Riverside Drive should be a plus. I am of the view that the Drive should be used for "a nice drive" rather than as a commuter road.

The 10000 housing units east of the yet unuseable new bridge are almost isolated by little river which runs north and south between riverside dr and tecumseh rd.This represents a barrier to east west traffic about 3 km long.I think any reasonable person could see the bridge and roadways should have been priority one.It is too late now but let me toss in another idea that might be nice for Windsor.Replace the aging Riverside bridge with a high clearance one like Wyandotte bridge.This would turn the only canal in Windsor into a boaters paradise and businessmans dream.

[Border City Boy]

Here's some new shots:

The Casino Expansion is coming along:



Work is also progressing on the Club Lofts Building.

[FenderStrat]

Hello everybody. Yesterday I took a few more photos of the Casino construction progress. Things are really starting to take shape.

[arnold]

i saw this in the star about the bike paths along riverside and decided to post it. and i have to say that it absolutley boggles my mind that there are people in opposition to the proposed bike paths.

i remember reading about this before where the local residents expressed concern that the paths would be used by potential theives to case their precious houses... which is total crap. i think that the city should get a crew together and either seriously fine those people that have installed fences on city property or simply do them the favour of ripping them out of the ground.

IMO, selfishness like that should not go unpunnished.

Riverside Dr. clash looms
Opposition building for plan to put bike paths on both sides
Article Tools


Roseann Danese, Windsor Star
Published: Thursday, September 07, 2006
A city study that examines how to improve Riverside Drive for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians is shaping up to be a battle between supporters and opponents of bike paths.

City council set aside 90 days to allow the community to examine the environmental study report for the Riverside Drive Vista Improvement Project, but Coun. Joyce Zuk, a member of the project's steering committee, said residents of the drive have already begun to petition the city, registering their opposition to the proposed bike paths.

The report recommends incorporating bike paths from one end of Riverside Drive to the other, on both sides of the road, which would require using some of the public right of way.

Zuk said even though there's plenty of land to install the paths, some Riverside Drive residents don't want them. "People have installed ornamental fences" on the city's property, Zuk said. "They've encroached on the public right-of-way."

Zuk said the city is looking for input, not only from residents of the Drive, but from the greater community. "Riverside Drive is everyone's road," she said. "It is the premier road in Windsor. It's not for the exclusive use of people who live on it."

The study was commissioned by the city because many sections of the roadway have been identified as being deficient, and improvements were deferred until an environmental assessment was completed.

The report can be revised after public comments are reviewed by the technical and steering committees. After the report is complete, it will be tabled for council approval. The public will have an opportunity to request a review from the Minister of the Environment if they disagree with recommendations contained in the report.

Zuk said the appeal to the environment minister is expected because some Riverside Drive residents made it clear during the consultation stage that bike paths would not be acceptable.

Such opposition to bike paths -- which have been universally accepted in forward-thinking communities -- is "ridiculous," she said.

"These are things that make healthy, vibrant communities."

PROJECT WEBSITE

The draft environmental study report for the Riverside Drive Vista Improvement Project can be viewed on the city's website at www.citywindsor.ca by the end of next week.

© The Windsor Star 2006

[Border City Boy]

Arnold the other week there was a story in the WS about a 13 year old kid who was riding his bike and got hit by a car.

The car stopped, the driver got out and yelled at the kid to "Stay the f*@k off the road" and drove off.

The kid ened up being hurt pretty bad, and the driver turined himself into police.

Typical Windsor mentaility.

[Blitz]

No, the real Windsor mentality is the constant bashing of the city by its own residents who seem to think that it's so much better somewhere else when in reality it isn't. This is what drags Windsor down. If its own citizens aren't going to be positive and proud of it, nobody else will and the city will never improve.

Originally Posted by scarab

It is too late now but let me toss in another idea that might be nice for Windsor.Replace the aging Riverside bridge with a high clearance one like Wyandotte bridge.This would turn the only canal in Windsor into a boaters paradise and businessmans dream.

Found out some news on this...the Wyandotte bridge was built so high due to provincial government regulations. The city didn't want to build it that high but figured they'd lose if they took the province to court so they just went along with it. The Riverside Drive crossing is aging so when it is eventually replaced, it will also have to be built at the same height across the river.

[upinottawa]

Originally Posted by Blitz

No, the real Windsor mentality is the constant bashing of the city by its own residents who seem to think that it's so much better somewhere else when in reality it isn't. This is what drags Windsor down. If its own citizens aren't going to be positive and proud of it, nobody else will and the city will never improve.

I find the same thing about U of W students. Many of my friends who went to Windsor were always bashing the school -- or saying it was not as good as other schools ("I only go to Windsor") -- without any true basis of comparison. I think it is this type of inferiority complex that hurts the school in the MacLean's and Globe and Mail rankings.

Only when the attitudes of the insiders change will the school's (and the city's) reputation improve.

[upinottawa]

Today, casino taps into growing industry that focuses on fans

Don Lajoie, Windsor Star
Published: Friday, September 08, 2006

Casino Windsor is gambling the opening of its Legends sports lounge today should give it a competitive edge by offering "the new game in town" to a distinct clientele of sports bettors in Windsor and the U.S.

The high-tech "armchair fan's dream," which boasts 36 video displays and high resolution TV screens of various sizes, a media tower containing three, nine-foot projection screens and Canada's largest sports ticker -- at 119 feet in length -- is designed to cater to 170 sports fans at a time.

And the operative words here are sports fans. Chris Parrott, brand manager of lottery marketing for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC), said the self-proclaimed sports expert who plays the office football pool, likes to wager on a favourite team or pick the winners on Pro-Line, is the target customer.

He said sport fans represent a distinct demographic from the typical casino patron and it is that fan base, throughout Ontario, Michigan and Ohio, that the casino hopes to attract. The fact such gaming is not offered in the Detroit casinos gives Casino Windsor a unique marketing opportunity.

"This is a product built specifically for Windsor and Niagara," said Parrott. "It's not available anywhere else and the casino should profit from that."

Looking around the lounge at the walls of screens offering a dizzying array of games, the high-backed booths, the over-sized armchairs and sampling the menu featuring not only such stadium staples as burgers, fries and hotdogs but higher end offerings like steak sandwiches and shrimp salads, it's clear Legends has been designed as a destination attraction and not just another neighbourhood sports bar.

Gordon Orr, visitors and convention bureau general manager, said Legends is one component of the larger $400-million expansion, designed to reassert Casino Windsor's position in the area's crowded casino market.

'Sets us apart'

He said that with the annual number of visitors falling from 9.1 million in 1999 to just over five million, the timing is significant.

"We need something to set us apart," he said. "This will create some buzz. it will help, no question."

Orr said he was repeatedly asked about the possibility of sports betting coming to Casino Windsor while visiting a festival in Pontiac, Mich., last weekend.

So how does it work and how will it differ from Pro-Line games offered in Ontario?

Parrot said Legends will take wagers on NFL football, U.S. college football, pro hockey, Major League Baseball and basketball. Players select games like Casino Points Spread, Casino Props (propositions), Casino Odds or Casino Over/Under. On a single-game event, such as the Super Bowl, a player might be expected to pick three propositions.

He said the games will have higher wagering limits, unique odds and events, plus different redemption time lines than games offered at Ontario lottery outlets. He said the games would also offer an 85 per cent payout rather than the 65 per cent for Pro-Line. The maximum wager will be $200 rather than the $100 on Pro-Line. And players can redeem their winnings at the Lounge wicket within an hour of the final score.

"People will be able to come here, see the game, have a meal and place some bets to add some excitement," he said. "Then sit back in a beautiful lounge and await the results."

He said no budget has been set for the operation but it is expected to generate $3.5 million for Casino Windsor.

© The Windsor Star 2006

[yupislyr]

Originally Posted by upinottawa

I find the same thing about U of W students. Many of my friends who went to Windsor were always bashing the school -- or saying it was not as good as other schools ("I only go to Windsor") -- without any true basis of comparison. I think it is this type of inferiority complex that hurts the school in the MacLean's and Globe and Mail rankings.

Only when the attitudes of the insiders change will the school's (and the city's) reputation improve.

Yup, that's exactly how it was throughout high school and college for me. Most kids would go on and on about how Windsor sucks, it's the armpit of Ontario, etc. Then they would explain how they were already planning to move somewhere else to go to school or as soon as they graduated (typical destinations were the GTA or Vancouver).

It seems that the vast majority of Windsorites are infected with this attitude.

I was just perusing a Windsor message group elsewhere before my visit here and found an entire thread of Windsor born folks saying how awful Windsor is and how it's just becoming a "little Detroit". Funny enough, the first guy who tried to derail the bandwagon was a Lebanese immigrant. He apparently made a mistake though when he told the folks to just leave the city if they don't like it. Some folks took offence to that and concluded that they somehow belonged here more than the immigrant simply because some of them or their parents where here first, despite the fact that they hate the city.

Sad really.

[Blitz]

^ I think part of is just human nature, we tend to think the grass is always greener somewhere else.

Despite the problems, Windsor still has a rapid growth rate so we must be doing something right.

[FALLSVIEW]

I spent a good chunk of my life in Windsor and area and truthfully the personal problem I had with the entire county has nothing to do with Windsor. For the most part Windsor has actually cleaned itself up quite a bit, and travelling into the centre core of Hamilton, St. Catharines, Kitchener, and many other older cities, Windsor is either cleaner and or nicer or about the same. My problem is a little different, and has nothing to do with the people or the city. It has to do with when you live out in the county where a good chunk of people commute to work, you have "1" stinking, crappy, dangerous, overused, 2 lane frickin highway."1" THAT'S IT!! Even all the concession roads are jammed packed! My conclusion right or wrong is that because Windsor is so far from the GTA and closely associates with Detroit it is left off the priority list for budgeted road expansion, this road should have been expanded many years and accidents ago! If you live in Windsor and never leave the city you have no idea what I am talking about. Another thing that bothers me about the region is it is so flat, no trees, no landscape, no nothing. It was so boring there because once again so far away from the rest of Ontario/GTA, and so close to Detroit I quess people figure we all just went to the States for something to do, not me! I used too, but I have two kids now and wanted things to do at home, and I didn't wan to travel to Cedar Point for the nearest amusement Park, or Kitchener for the nearest waterpark. One last thing, the humidity and smog pretty much forced me out of the area, maybe I am too Canadian but I don't want to sweat just standing in one spot, and I would like to take a deep breath once in awhile without choking on the thick air. My family lives there and God bless them, but they are all so miserable and don't know why, I figured out why, when I moved from there and saw trees, and hills, and could breath again and just had the most exciting and coolest/non humid summer in my life. I love you Windsor, I just don't want to be married to you anymore.