WINDSOR | Construction - News and Development

[north 42]

Good to see another Windsor poster come on board, we could always use the diversity on here, welcome to the forum Lousclues. I wish the canal idea was still alive, I thought it would have been great for DT. At least we have the aquatic centre and library going in there now, with other components still to come.

[Symz]

The thing is that no one 100% is going to agree with whatever the city does with this piece of land. At this point I am just glad to see the city do SOMETHING with the land finally, let the other dominos fall after.

[Symz]

There is already some work going on regarding utilities near the site of the aquatic centre.

Church Street in Downtown Windsor is closed while work crews do utility work near the site of the upcoming Family Aquatic Centre.

Church is closed between University and Chatham Street near the LCBO; and Chatham Street has one lane reduced.

[Symz]

Another new plaza is going to be built along Dougall

http://windsorite.ca/2011/12/another...south-windsor/

A new professional building is planned to be constructed on the corner of Dougall and Liberty streets in South Windsor. The proposed plaza is located on the same block as another plaza where construction is well-underway — just south of the TD bank — and continues to expand the Dougall Road commercial corridor closer to Cabana.

Currently the Dougall frontage sits vacant while one home on Liberty will be torn down to allow for this three unit building to be constructed.

[north 42]

It's about time they demolish those houses and build decent commercial space along that streatch of Dougall. I wouldn't want to live on that section of the street with how busy it is. Commercial is a much better fit for that area than single family homes.

[Symz]

The revised Aquatic Centre bid is in.

source: www.windsorite.ca


source: www.windsorstar.com

WINDSOR, Ont. -- “This is the best thing to hit the city since I came here in 1969,” Ward 9 Coun. Hilary Payne gushed after Monday’s news conference announcing a new deal had been reached with the contractor selected to build Windsor’s new aquatic centre.

Payne said the $77.6-million facility is just the type of thing Windsorites were telling him this place needs during his door-to-door electioneering a year ago.

“This is a place that people will want to come to,” said Payne, who was city administrator way back, a quarter-century ago, when the city bought and then knocked down numerous downtown blocks ahead of what became a series of dreams — casino, arenas, urban village, canal — that went nowhere.

Negotiations over the past 10 days with the lowest bidder elicited a $4.3-million cut from the $64.85-million original design-build price offered by EllisDon Corporation/DeAngelis Construction Inc. Other negotiated savings from what was an original all-in cost of $89.19 million price tag (revealed publicly for the first time Monday), includes $1.33 million off the original $7.34 million price tag for the main Italian custom-built pool and $5.9 million off due to a slate of budget-trimming measures such as lower contingency fees, cheaper furniture.

Some of the big changes: the 50-metre Olympic pool will become a 71-metre pool, by combining it with what had been a separate pool and dive tank and furnishing it with movable bulkhead walls, there will be less basement and one less family aquatic park feature. The overall facility footprint has been reduced by 20,000 square feet.

But Mayor Eddie Francis said it will remain a one-of-a-kind destination with the city’s first Olympic pool and water park with such “iconic” features as wave pool, lazy river, Double Flow Rider, surf simulator, Viper and Wizzard racing slides, Master Blaster a and kiddie zone.

Francis said the project can be completed without adding to the city’s debt load or upping taxes.

Asked why city taxpayers should spend $62 million on such an attraction at a time when Windsor is struggling economically, Francis replied: “Is it worth Windsor moving forward? Absolutely.”

He said it’s a one-time investment that will help Windsor draw new people and new investment.

Annual operating costs are estimated at almost $1.5 million, but offsetting that are the closure of College Avenue community centre, Windsor Arena, Adie Knox pool and the the Windsor Water World pool. A very preliminary estimate, the mayor said, pegs the net annual incremental operating cost after those actions at just over $170,000.

City council will vote on the deal at a special meeting Thursday night.

If it’s a go, construction starts early in the new year with completion date in 2013.

The city originally budgeted just over $66 million for the entire project, including covering the costs of other expenses, including fees for consultants and management and the financing costs.

Francis said council agreed to that figure before the province stepped in with its $15 million contribution, a figure some might have thought would be used to reduce the all-in cost.

Official plans at the city website
http://www.citywindsor.ca/DisplayAtt...AttachID=25107

[Symz]

So a new story has popped up on CBC that the old barn (old Windsor Arena) could potentially be converted into a farmer's market.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windso...rs-market.html

The old Windsor Arena — known as the Barn — may soon become a market.

Coun. Alan Halberstadt told CBC News a developer has interest in converting the historic Windsor Arena into a farmers market.

"I have information that somebody is looking at it to convert into a farmers market. That information hasn’t completely unfolded yet," Halberstadt said. "The concept would be that some developer, who has a vision of a farmers market, would take over the building."

Mayor Eddie Francis neither confirmed nor denied Halberstadt's claim that a farmers market is likely coming to Windsor Arena.

"There is a lot of speculation and a lot of rumours out there," Francis said.

The University of Windsor is scheduled to take over the current home of the downtown famers market, which is located at the former Greyhound station.

There is a committee looking at relocating the farmers market downtown, according to Halberstadt.

"There have been a number of things that have been talked about," Francis said

Halberstadt said he was unsure whether the building would be sold or leased to the developer who plans to create the market. But he's sure of one thing; the arena will no longer be owned by the city.

"Certainly the mayor has indicated pretty definitively that it would be removed from the cost to the city," Halberstadt said.

The city has plans to close Water World, the Adie Knox Pool and Windsor Arena.

Halberstadt said it costs the city approximately $230,000 to operate Windsor Arena.

The city offered Windsor Arena to the University of Windsor because the facility is currently home to the Windsor Lancers hockey program. But the school declined to purchase the building.

"Obviously Windsor Arena has value to the community," Francis said. "However we decide to repurpose the facility should be some recognition of the value of the building architecturally and historically."

[north 42]

I think this is a great idea to turn the old barn into the local farmers market, hopefully this happens soon.

[Symz]

The College avenue bridge has finally reopened.

If you remember the bridge was soo deteriorated that is had to be closed off to traffic. The bridge travels over the train tracks that enter into the tunnel going under the river. Well, from what I had read a long time ago there was so much hesitation as to how much money the government should put into a new bridge depending on what happened with the existing train tunnel since there have been rumours about a new tunnel that can accommodate double decker train cars.

So if I remember right, this is a 'temporary bridge'. What that means I don't know, maybe it's not engineered to last as long as a normal bridge, who knows.

The College Avenue bridge is slated to reopen early next week.

It's been closed to traffic for nearly three years.

"I didn’t think it would happen honestly," truck driver John Churchill said.

"I think it’s great. I stopped coming around here all together because it was just a pain to get through," said Mike Wilson.

The original bridge was more than 80 years old and was closed due to safety concerns.

City engineer Mark Winkerton says the project came in on time and approximately $100,000 under the $1.5-million budget.

While the new bridge is built to last, its days may already be numbered because CP Railway is considering the construction of a double-decker rail line under the bridge.

If that comes to fruition, the bridge will have to be deconstructed and rebuilt to accommodate the higher rail cars.

The city says CP plans to issue a report in 2012 about whether it will proceed with the new tunnel.

CBC Windsor's Karen Brady on CBC News: Windsor at Six will have more reaction city officials and from neighbours who have been dealing with detours for the last three years.

Here's the old bridge.

courtesy of www.windsorite.ca

[Symz]

I went out for a drive today, on this dismal day and tried to snap some photos (some while driving).

first, here's the progress on the new plaza at Riverside & Lauzon.



Here's a few pics of Church street near the bus terminal downtown closed off as they're doing stuff with the utilities in preparation of the aquatic centre.



Progress on the new VIA train station in Walkerville. The parking lot is soo chewed up around the old and new station. The old train station is at the forefront on the right.



There is an old building downtown that I can't remember the name of, but it has been undergoing renovations for quite some time now. It is right next to the medical building.


This is a really shitty picture I know, but it's the best I could do while driving and taking the picture. It's a picture of some of the median work going on along Wyandotte, east of Droullard. I think the tree'd medians help this section of Wyandotte, it was pretty, industral and bleak looking. (still kind of is, but this helps)

[Symz]

The university is going to be building a new parking garage with an attached innovation centre next to their yet to be completed school of engineering.

www.windsorite.ca

Parking on campus is set to get a little easier, after the University of Windsor Board of Governors voted in favour Wednesday evening to construct a two-storey Innovation Centre with a seven-level parking garage with 1,055 spaces on the south side of Wyandotte street between Sunset and California.

Two separate buildings will be constructed that will be connected by a second-storey pedestrian bridge from the Innovation Centre to the parking structure. The Innovation Centre will front Wyandotte and will become the new home of Campus Community Police, Parking Services and other campus services. The university plans to centralized some of the existing surface lots on campus into the new parking structure.

The new parking structure will add approximately 300 spaces to campus and will bring the total amount of parking spots available up to 3,000. The University of Windsor will now enter into contract discussions with Newton Parking Structures Ltd. from Guelph, Ontario to construct what is reported to be the first ever design-build (designed and built by a single contractor) project on campus.

Construction is set begin in early in the new year and will be completed during the summer of 2013. Fore more information and to see renderings of the project, visit the University website here.

Pictures from:
http://www.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/201...king-structure

[north 42]

Wow, more great news for the University. This parking structure will really help the parking situation there. It's great to see the campus expanding and modernizing the last few years, with the new downtown campuses , the new engineering building and the medical building. No more last chance U.

[FenderStrat]

I'd have to say that this parking structure is LONG overdue. When I was attending the University, the lots were almost always full. More than once I had to park all the way at the St. Denis Centre, and walk all the way to Dillon Hall (or somewhere equally as far from the St. Denis Centre). Not fun on a cold February morning.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by FenderStrat

I'd have to say that this parking structure is LONG overdue. When I was attending the University, the lots were almost always full. More than once I had to park all the way at the St. Denis Centre, and walk all the way to Dillon Hall (or somewhere equally as far from the St. Denis Centre). Not fun on a cold February morning.

The university has been known to sell more passes than there are parking.

[north 42]

I think the name of the old office building being renovated downtown is the Medical Arts Building. I think I heard that they are converting it to condos. It really has been taking a long tome to finish it.

[Symz]

The aquatic centre is a go.

[north 42]

Hopefully the losing bidders don't make any trouble with this project since they wanted to have it retendered. It sounds to me that the city is in a good possition to defend it's decision and process. The last thing we need is to delay construction or pay lawyers to defend the city.

[macko]

i has hoping they would build a high rise instead of a pharmacy, seems on riverside their is alot of good places they could build a nice condo highrise, like even by the beach by ganatcchio trail, where ships bring the cement. Anyways i finally joined these forums after couple years just reading from time to time, i find this interesting. Does anyone know if London developer Shmuel Farhi will be building anything on the land he owns here in Windsor?

[Symz]

Originally Posted by macko

i has hoping they would build a high rise instead of a pharmacy, seems on riverside their is alot of good places they could build a nice condo highrise, like even by the beach by ganatcchio trail, where ships bring the cement. Anyways i finally joined these forums after couple years just reading from time to time, i find this interesting. Does anyone know if London developer Shmuel Farhi will be building anything on the land he owns here in Windsor?

Hey macko! Welcome to the discussion. It's good to see more Windsorites.

I know what you mean about the pharmacy at that corner, but on the flip side that corner has sat empty for a long time so it's good to atleast see some development. Did you happen to notice though that the city tore down 2 old houses across the street beside Abars, right on the waters edge? I'm very curious if anything will ever pop up there, since it is riverfront property.

About Schmuel Farhi and his properties downtown we can only speculate. I'm sure you know about all the changes occuring downtown, and especially the aquatic centre which will be right adjacent to a few of Farhi's vacant riverfront properties (he actually owns 3 vacant lots along Riverside in that area) as well as he owns the former Ramada and the large parking deck adjacent to the bus terminal.

So... if you look at the paper trail, a lot of the recent developments are happening around his properties. Coincidence? Who knows, but that area needed development, so with the city spearheading that we're hopeful Schmuel will eventually announce something for his properties.

Here are 2 of the properties he bought up that are in the blocks immediately west of the art gallery (where he owns that parcel of land he swapped with the city for the WFCU Centre)

[Blitz]

I wonder what this new investment firm thing is all about that's been advertising for jobs in Windsor in many newspapers in the region.

Highrise condos on Riverside Drive are generally only built across the street from parkland. I'm sure more will be built over time but I agree that piece of land has sat empty for so long that it's good to see it developed.