WINDSOR | Construction - News and Development

[Carlos_x3]

Originally Posted by arnold

^
last year when i was in windsor, it still looked like the whole stretch of retail along pitt street was empty. and comprised a lot of space... has someone moved in?

Did you see pelissier?

I really hope we see positive results upon completion of the casino expansion, to what extent I don't know. That's the only project going on downtown that I can think of.
I always wished the city would build an aquarium.

[arnold]

when i said pitt street was empty, i meant the base of the candrell building along pitt. pelliser didn't look too bad a year ago, but that was when American Apparel was still there.

i also hope that some new downtown projects kickstart the streetlife, but i don't know how much of an impact the casino will have. it;ll draw people and tax revenue in, but it will serve its guests with its own internal resturants, shops and services. so why would people venture out into the city to look for these things?
a good example of this might be brampton (toronto suburb). it recently put in a new performing arts centre in the heart of their small downtown to attract buisness and foot traffic, but decided not to add any cafes or resturants in the hopes that local buisnesses would spring up in the neighbourhood to satisfy demand. and just a couple of years later, there are a lot of pretty interesting construction projects going on to do just that. and a slate of new condos are on the way to build on the momentum.

and just as a side note, i recently visited victoria, bc for the first time and was totally blown away at how great their downtown was. it's basically the same size of windsor, but its downtown was big and vibrant and packed with people all day long (despite the weather)... if only windsor had of developed more like that, it would have been a truly great place to live and work.

[Carlos_x3]

Something needs to change at City Hall. Anyone regret voting for Eddie Francis and not Bill Marra? We need to take whats on the table now and stop shooting down what comes to it. The Greenlink border solution will never happen.

Council voted against the high clearance rail tunnel last year. Council is against a new Ambassador Bridge. A new Bridge in LaSalle. A new Rail Tunnel. A new below grade freeway off the 401. But they did decide to build a new arena in the middle of nowhere.

Sarnia, a city with a population of approximately 80,000, has done the following in the 1990's: 1. Twinned the Bluewater bridge (with a highway leading to it). 2. Built a new arena. 3. Built a high clearance rail tunnel.

[MrChills]

^ I hear you and agree. I lived in Windsor for about four years and just recently moved to St. John's, NL. I was appaled by the lack of action by the local city council, they are so short sighted and small minded its sick. They seem to be all about expanding the evergrowing suburbian mess around and Windsor and letting the downtown and core city die. Windsor has so much potential to have a bustling and vibrant downtown, but, noone seems to think outside the box. The constant excuse I heard there was that the Americans don't cover like they used to, blah, blah, blah... While it helps, you don't need the Yankee population to make something of you downtown, other than an underaged watering hole. There are enough people residing in Windsor to have a complete downtown with shoppping, residential highrises, dinning, nightlife, etc...

[MrChills]

Originally Posted by Carlos_x3

Did you see pelissier?

I really hope we see positive results upon completion of the casino expansion, to what extent I don't know. That's the only project going on downtown that I can think of.
I always wished the city would build an aquarium.

They should turn Pelissier into the red light district, nothing else seems to work there, that one larger bar changed names about 6 times just while I lived there... Anyway, they have the massage parlors all over town and so many people complain about them, but, I don't see the city cracking down on them anytime soon. So... to please both parties, have it zoned to one specific area, and have Pelissier between Park and Elliot as a red light district and have all the massage parlors, rub and tugs, soak and poaks and whatever other seedy establishements on that one area. Would be a bigger draw for tourists/Casino patrons and at least then people can't complain that they are all over the city in their neightbours, if you don't like them, then stay away from Pelissier

[arnold]

Originally Posted by Carlos_x3

Something needs to change at City Hall. Anyone regret voting for Eddie Francis and not Bill Marra? We need to take whats on the table now and stop shooting down what comes to it. The Greenlink border solution will never happen.

Council voted against the high clearance rail tunnel last year. Council is against a new Ambassador Bridge. A new Bridge in LaSalle. A new Rail Tunnel. A new below grade freeway off the 401. But they did decide to build a new arena in the middle of nowhere.

Sarnia, a city with a population of approximately 80,000, has done the following in the 1990's: 1. Twinned the Bluewater bridge (with a highway leading to it). 2. Built a new arena. 3. Built a high clearance rail tunnel.

while i haven't exactly kept up on all of these issues, i'd have to disagree with you a bit. i think that the council is right in trying to get the greenlink through, even if it is a stretch. IMO, council has an obligation to try to get what;s best for the city, not just settle for what's do-able. that's not the kind of thinking that leads to great cities...
and the twinning of the ambassador would be a disaster if you ask me. all it would do is move more traffic and pollution into the area and give almost total control of the border to one company... which is a horrible idea. city council is right to stand up to these plans.
and i don't know about the below grade freeway, but we've seen how well those have worked across the river in detroit... slicing neighbourhood in two and dividing up the city. any highway expansion will only lead to more sprawl. the city needs to look at improving what they have and trying to intice poeple out of car dependance, not encourage it... like they do across the river.

and while i don't agree with the suburban arena (at all), its not the end of the world. an optimist would say that it leaves a piece of prime downtown real-estate for some other kind of development...

[Carlos_x3]

Originally Posted by MrChills

^ I hear you and agree. I lived in Windsor for about four years and just recently moved to St. John's, NL. I was appaled by the lack of action by the local city council, they are so short sighted and small minded its sick. They seem to be all about expanding the evergrowing suburbian mess around and Windsor and letting the downtown and core city die. Windsor has so much potential to have a bustling and vibrant downtown, but, noone seems to think outside the box. The constant excuse I heard there was that the Americans don't cover like they used to, blah, blah, blah... While it helps, you don't need the Yankee population to make something of you downtown, other than an underaged watering hole. There are enough people residing in Windsor to have a complete downtown with shoppping, residential highrises, dinning, nightlife, etc...

You're right there are enough people in Windsor to have a thriving, vibrant downtown but not enough people residing in the downtown. We simply need more residential in the downtown. When was the last time we had a residential project of enough significance in the downtown? Years I would say. But then again, who wants to live in our downtown these days? I myself grew up downtown, it seems like every Windsorite did once upon a time. And people still continue to leave. Future population estimates still have our downtown in the negative. For decades our downtown has been in decline. City councils main focus should be our downtown not suburbia.

I think we all are against the arena site but none the less it's a great project of significance and will have a big impact on the eastown area. 2 or 3 years from now I'd like to see before and after pics of that area, a gauranteed transformation. I've heard of Condo development around there.

[Blitz]

The mayor and council are doing a good job fighting for Windsorites on the highway 401 extension/new bridge issue. The province and feds are only interested in shoving the cheapest solution down our throats just like they always have.

Anyway, here's an article from today's paper about a possible new office tower downtown....


CORE VALUES
The Windsor Star
Feb. 23, 2008

A Toronto-based real estate development company recently snapped up two downtown Windsor properties it has no immediate plans for because the price was right.

"Real estate in downtown Windsor is a good value at the moment and that's what makes it attractive to investors," said Vince DeRosa, president of Fercan Developments Inc.

Fercan, which has commercial holdings across Ontario, now owns five substantial downtown Windsor properties.

"It's encouraging that investors see major things happening, or about to happen, in downtown Windsor," said Larry Horwitz, chairman of the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association.

"They're looking towards the future and now is the time to get in because prices are extremely reasonable," said Horwitz. "This is when smart money steps up."

Fercan recently acquired what was once the Central Plymouth auto dealership at 785 and 790 Goyeau St. and the former Classic II Bingo hall at 720 Ouellette Ave.

Once touted by local owners as a possible location for a new city bus depot, the Goyeau Street properties have remained vacant after the Chrysler dealership moved to Provincial Road. The 14,000-square-foot bingo hall has been empty since it closed two years ago.

The properties were bought for investment purposes and there are no firm development plans, DeRosa said.

Fercan also owns 500 Ouellette Ave., which is currently a customer service centre operated by Sutherland Global Inc., and an adjacent parking garage on Wyandotte Street East.

The company paid $3.3 million for 500 Ouellette, $3.65 million for the parking garage, which was in receivership at the time, $1.325 million for the former auto dealership properties and $745,000 for the former bingo hall.

It also owns commercial and office properties in Toronto, London, North Bay, Waterloo, St. Catharines, Hamilton and Barrie.

Local developers David Petretta, of Petretta Construction, and Lou and Joe Mikhail, of Mikhail Holdings, appear to share Fercan's confidence in the future of Windsor's downtown.

The Mikhails are planning two office buildings in the core -- a bank building on a vacant lot at Ouellette Avenue and Pitt Street and a new 14-storey office tower on Riverside Drive East between the Travelodge Hotel and Papa Cheney's Whiskey Well.

Joe Mikhail said recently that conditional agreements have been reached with tenants to fill seven of the 14 floors in the tower.

Petretta and a Toronto developer are proposing a commercial building on the east side of the 100 block of Ouellette, including the site of a former Royal Bank building at 156 Ouellette.

Horwitz said to attract tenants and additional downtown investment "we have to make downtown as attractive, comfortable and inviting as we can for potential retail, commercial and office tenants.

"It's a good time to invest in downtown and we as a city have to do our part to help it happen," he said.

[Carlos_x3]

Can't wait to see renderings, no word on how tall the other will be?

[Carlos_x3]

$38M hotel project to start this spring
Retail development to be built next to WFCU centre on city's east end
Dave Hall, The Windsor Star
Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Construction is expected to start this spring on a Fairfield Inn Suites by Marriott, part of a $38-million development that also includes a farmer's market, retail shopping, restaurants and loft-style apartments.

Facing Banwell Road between Tecumseh Road East and Wildwood Drive, the Royal Timbers Centre will have a 61-unit indoor market and retail centre. There will be a Firkin brand pub and a new restaurant, both adjacent to the hotel, a retail strip with as many as six units and a lube and oil-change garage adjacent to the existing Shell Station at Banwell and Tecumseh.

Located within 10 minutes of the city's new WFCU Centre, the hotel is expected to be a magnet for Ontario Hockey League teams as well as minor hockey teams and parents visiting the city for tournaments.

"This area of the city is a prime location for development because it's where a large portion of the growth and traffic flow is heading," said the developer, Murray Troup of Banwell Development Corporation, who developed an adjacent plaza which includes a children's tea shop, convenience store, daycare centre and a pizza restaurant.

In addition to fresh food vendors on the ground floor, the market is also expected to have gift shops selling arts, crafts and jewelry on the second floor.

"The multi-vendor market idea is becoming very popular and gives small entrepreneurs a chance to open their own business without having to make a major investment in their own building," said Troup

"By creating a synergy between all the various vendors, we expect that collectively they can generate a large amount of traffic flow in the area," said Troup.

Denise Parent, Banwell's vice-president of marketing and communications, said about 50 per cent of the units are leased and tenants include butchers, bakers, a fish market, vegetable stands, a florist, a delicatessen counter and a cheese store.

"We're trying to develop a critical mass and wide variety of vendors that will provide a great selection for customers without having any duplication," Parent said.

The market area will be located on the ground floor of the three-storey building. On the second floor, Troup plans offices, more retail areas, a food court and a culinary school.

Twenty-eight loft-style, two-bedroom residential units, each covering an area of about 750 square feet, will be located on the third floor.

The hotel's general manager, Todd Cuthbert, who worked for 16 years at the Holiday Inn Select on Hurch Church Road, said if all goes well, the hotel is expected to open Jan. 2 of next year, just a few weeks after WFCU Centre is expected to open.

"We've already been in contact with the Spitfires to try and work out some sort of arrangement with both them and the OHL," said Cuthbert. "It's an ideal location for teams, players and families visiting the new rink as well as for a number of corporate clients who really have no options now but to stay downtown or on the city's west side."

The hotel will have 103 rooms, an indoor pool with waterslide, and meeting rooms.

Adjacent to the hotel will be one of the popular Toronto-based Firkin pubs, with more than 300 seats, as well as a new restaurant.

With names such as the Fox and Firkin, Flatiron and Firkin, Churchmouse and Firkin, Frog and Firkin, Bull and Firkin and Quail and Firkin, the chain now has more than 30 locations across Canada and eight in the U.S.

Troup, who is partnered in the Banwell development by Patrick D'Amore, also has retail and commercial developments in London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock and Brantford.

[arnold]

^
another big blow to the downtown if you ask me...

this kind of development can only draw people and funds away from projects that (in my perfect world) should be centralized near the core. this is exactly how they do things across the river (and its a major reason the region has turned out to be the suburban hell-hole that it is)... dozens of car-dependant, suburban nodes competeing with each other, with all of them being mediocre at best and no one area becoming a great, a well thought out focal point. i wish windsor would do better than this kind of stuff.

[westerntragedy]

^ A total blow to downtown! And what's worse, this Banwell location is really not THAT close to the WFCU Center area (about as close as Walkerville is to Downtown).

What about all that land on McHugh street, next to the arena? They couldn't have built this retail center there?? I honestly don't see why anyone would be deliberately visiting this new retail complex at Banwell before/after games (unless they are staying at the Fairfield Inn).

Why not just go to Tecumseh Mall, which is literally around the corner?

On a similar note, reading Windsor Business magazine's February edition, I noticed their building permit news section shows that Windsor has approved a $50M dollar building for McHugh St. to be used for "government" purposes. Hmmmm....

[y2k_pony]

I dont think the hotel in the East end is that bad of an Idea. Windsor must face the facts that the area is expanding into the county. Many people from the towns surrounding Windsor to the east have absolutely no place for family and friends to have accomodations. South Windsor has hotels, West Windsor has hotels and now it looks like finally East Windsor will.

[arnold]

^
its not the hotel aspect that i think is such a blow to downtown, its all of the retail and market units. this is the kind of stuff that have been rejuvenating other cities' downtowns for years, and while it seems downtown windsor can't really catch a break, suburban developers are tripping over themselves to build even more reasons not to go downtown out on the fringes.
besides, this kind of car-centric, power centre-friendly sprawl shouldn't be encouraged with developments like this.

[jodelli]

Originally Posted by arnold

^
its not the hotel aspect that i think is such a blow to downtown, its all of the retail and market units. this is the kind of stuff that have been rejuvenating other cities' downtowns for years, and while it seems downtown windsor can't really catch a break, suburban developers are tripping over themselves to build even more reasons not to go downtown out on the fringes.
besides, this kind of car-centric, power centre-friendly sprawl shouldn't be encouraged with developments like this.

This east end of town needs accommodation. On Tecumseh Road between the Tecumseh town line and Ouellette Ave in the centre of Windsor there is only one motel, the Diane just west of Jefferson, unless someone else can think of another. Not that there is anything wrong with a mom and pop operation, but the demand is and will be there for more.

jodelli

[arnold]

^
again, the hotel doesn't bother me so much. its the retail and market they're proposing.

[Carlos_x3]

The route map for transit Windsor 2008 doesnt have a bus stop at the new WFCUC. The nearest bus stop is at Tecumseh mall. Lauzon Road doesn't have any sidewalks on either side. I guess they think everyone in Windsor drives a car.

[jodelli]

Originally Posted by arnold

^
again, the hotel doesn't bother me so much. its the retail and market they're proposing.

I should have put IAWTP. I was agreeing with you more or less.

jodelli

[jodelli]

Originally Posted by Carlos_x3

The route map for transit Windsor 2008 doesnt have a bus stop at the new WFCUC. The nearest bus stop is at Tecumseh mall. Lauzon Road doesn't have any sidewalks on either side. I guess they think everyone in Windsor drives a car.

Too bad an LRT adapted to the Via tracks doesn't exist, it's located perfectly and the rail freight traffic has been moved south.

jodelli

[Carlos_x3]

Windsor: Planning For The Future

On Saturday, March 22 come out to the St. Clair Centre for the Arts to participate in a day of progressive thought and dialogue. Scaledown.ca and St. Clair College present Windsor: Planning for the Future. Speakers - Jim Yanchula, Larry Silani and Veronika Mogyorody will present their thoughts on urban planning and what makes a great downtown. The event aims to bring current and future trends that affect downtown Windsor’s development to the public arena. Participants will learn about new developments in urban planning, and will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences during the round-table discussions.

Admission is free.

Tentative Itinerary

8:30-9:00 Pick-up participant packages, coffee and muffins.

9:00-9:10 Opening remarks.

9:10-9:40 Jim Yanchula, International Downtown Association

9:40-10:10 Larry Silani, Inter-Municipal Planning Coordination Committee

10:10-10:20 Break

10:20-10:50 Veronika Mogyorody, green/sustainable urban development

10:50-11:00 Remarks and participant survey instructions.

11:00-12:30 Lunch and Downtown Survey.

12:30-1:30 Round-table discussion w/Jim, Larry and Veronika

1:30-2:00 Open mic’ question period

2:00-2:10 Closing remarks.

This event is open to any person that wants to know more about urban planning and would like to be part of the discussion of Downtown Windsor’s future. The organizer recognizes that this date falls on the Easter weekend and if you cannot stay for the entire day or cannot arrive until later there is no problem. Your participation in this community exercise is invaluable in demonstrating that the people of this region really do care and want to be part of the solution.

For more information e-mail James.

james@scaledown.ca