WINDSOR | Construction - News and Development

[Symz]

I noticed a few weeks ago there are 2 new Farhi signs located downtown. One is on the property adjacent to the Riverside Inn hotel (the former Docherty hole property) and the other is on the property adjacent to the Art Gallery at Riverside and Bruce.

I have high hopes, but I've never heard of Farhi doing much, although he is trying to develop something in London which could potentially lead to a new tallest tower for London, but I'm not holding my breath.

[cbyrne2014]

Dough Schmidt tweeting that the mayor will announce a waterfront development tonight.

[north 42]

^
I can't imagine what that could be. Guess we'll find out.

[cbyrne2014]

Waterfront parkland expanding ...

Source: http://windsorite.ca/2012/11/more-parkland-coming-to-the-riverfront/

A section of land to the west of the Hiram Walker plant that had been occupied by railway tracks until this past summer is set to become park land.

Monday evening at Windsor City Council Jim Stanski the Vice President of Operations at Hiram Walker’s told council that the rail tracks were removed this past summer because 100% of the grain used is locally source and the need for the rail line to the riverfront was no longer needed.  The land is owned by the city, but Hiram Walker’s paid for the removal of the tracks.

Improvements will be made to soften the grade to the rives edge from the top of Riverside, currently it is close to an eight foot drop down, before the land is opened up for public use.  The city hopes to have it complete by next summer.

[north 42]

Ah, ok, I was thinking condo development or something, figures.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by north 42

Ah, ok, I was thinking condo development or something, figures.

Nope, an extra 500 ft of park which has basically sat as unused land surrounded by rusty fencing. It's a modest gain for the city and in some ways the last piece of the puzzle for the riverfront park lands.

In all honesty, the riverfront park is doing great. The efforts of many before us have paid off and we have a jewel of a riverfront, now the city has to do what it takes to spur development along the south side of Riverside and as well downtown. Tax rates are still too high in this city.

[Jacob]

Originally Posted by Symz

Tax rates are still too high in this city.

Windsor has some of the lowest tax rates in the country.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by Jacob

Windsor has some of the lowest tax rates in the country.

You sir are wrong.

A recent article where the Windsor Star spoke with the owners of The Squirrel Cage quoted the owners. They said they are paying 3 times the commercial taxes on their $100,000 property than they were paying for a property worth near $750,000 in Yorkville! They said the tax rates here are very high and if they came down they believe that would help downtown.

If you think the tax rates in Windsor are soo low why do you think we've seen downtown struggling for so long and yet business is booming in commercial areas like Manning Rd in Tecumseh and Malden Rd in Lasalle. The taxes are lower in these outlying municipalities.

Not only that but we are being back taxed through our water rates. The water rates have gone up astronomically in the last 5 years. In turn Enwin pays a dividend to the city. It's back door taxation on top of high taxes.

Do you even own a home? Where do you get the idea our taxes are 'the lowest in the country'?

1 more thing, are you sure you're not getting property values confused with taxes? Windsor is well known for low property values, but not low taxes.

A recent Windsor Star article said Windsor ranks 14th out of 16 cities compared in Canada in terms of tax competitiveness.
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/09/25/canadas-tax-competitiveness-helps-windsor/

Have you ever even heard about how some of the city's largest industrial companies have appealed their tax rates in the last few years because they have been too high and have won in the courts costing the city millions in lost revenue it thought it could easily count on?

I could go on and on Jacob, I think you're misinformed. BTW do you yourself own a home and pay taxes?

I currently pay $2800 a year on our 1100sq ft 1 1/2 storey bungalow, that breaks down to $233.33 per month for my property taxes..

Here is a quick example. Compare the 2 Residential Total columns

Look at the tax rates in Lakeshore, see residential. The rate shows 0.0115649
http://www.lakeshore.ca/media/files/2012%20TAX%20RATES%20July%2016.pdf

The same residential tax rate for Windsor is 0.01814146
http://www.citywindsor.ca/cityhall/Taxes--and-Assessment-/Pages/Tax-Rates.aspx

It's funny, but sad, the City of Toronto gives an example tax rate for a house valued at $447,090 to be $3,447.95 for the year.
http://www.toronto.ca/taxes/property_tax/tax_rates.htm

So I pay $2800 a year for my $138,000 house in Windsor but a house in Toronto that's worth $309,090 MORE than mine pays only $637.95 more per year than I do.......

[north 42]

Our taxes are too high, but that's the fault of all the former mayors and councils who made some very bad decisions.

Thank god for our mayor who has froze property taxes 5 of the last 7 years. Water rates are rising everywhere, not just Windsor, this is not back door taxation, it's something that has to be done in order to bring our aging infrastructure up to date. Too many councils deferring this work is the problem we now face.

It's a hard road to get the city competitive again when it comes to taxes, but we are on the right path with everything the mayor and council have achieved so far. We are in far better shape now than we have been in a long time, and we need the leadership of the mayor to continue on this path. I shudder to think where this city would be had Eddie not ran for mayor, and we were still controlled by labour unions who got everything they wanted at all of our expense!

[Symz]

Here's a quick snapshot from the aquatic centre cam. Work is coming along and footings are coming on for the eastern portion of the building. I think we lost a few days there last week because of the poor weather.

source: http://www.citywindsor.ca/mayorandcounci...Pages/Family-Aquatic-Complex-Camera.aspx

[Symz]

Let's hope in the coming years we'll be able to post pictures of the new bridge being built!

[Jacob]

Originally Posted by Symz

1 more thing, are you sure you're not getting property values confused with taxes? Windsor is well known for low property values, but not low taxes..

Actually, I think I did get that confused, not sure why, my bad. Water is way too high also, something has gone wrong there.

[Symz]

Prefab parking rises at U of W

The latest project, built by the Guelph-based Newton Group, will eventually grow into a 7 1/2-storey, split-level garage, housing 950 parking spaces.

The completion date for the $23-million project, including the garage, a two-storey “innovation centre” to house security, campus police and parking services and a pedestrian bridge to link the two, is slated for next September.

see full story here:http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/11/07/prefab-parking-rises-at-u-of-w/


Construction continues on the University of Windsor parking garage on Sunset Avenue in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, November 7, 2012. (JASON KRYK/ The Windsor Star)

[Blitz]

It's a hard road to get the city competitive again when it comes to taxes, but we are on the right path with everything the mayor and council have achieved so far. We are in far better shape now than we have been in a long time, and we need the leadership of the mayor to continue on this path. I shudder to think where this city would be had Eddie not ran for mayor, and we were still controlled by labour unions who got everything they wanted at all of our expense!

Agreed, the unions ran the city into the ground for years. Eddie was a godsend.

[Symz]

A photo update of the Windsor Star's move into their new building the former Palace theatre.





Click the link for more pics

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/11/13/photos-update-on-the-stars-big-move/

[Symz]

A weekend trade centre is planned for Walker road in the old GM plant. It will be like a mini Gibraltar Trade Centre in Detroit.

source: http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/11/12/trade-centre-planned-for-gm-h-building/

A Toronto group that has been advertising for flea market vendors since the summer is preparing to open a weekend trade centre in a former General Motors building on the east side of Walker Road, says a spokesman.

“We’re expecting big traffic in this place, plus there will be a variety of vendors,” said Alex Alshamma, one of the partners in the Windsor Trade Market.

Booths are under construction in part of the Windsor Expo Centre, at 1508 Walker Rd., and the trade centre could open as early as Dec. 7. If not, the opening will likely be delayed until March, Alshamma said. “We’re working around the clock to make it happen in December.”

There are 160 interested vendors, of which 75 per cent have existing businesses in Windsor, Essex County and Chatham-Kent, said Alshamma, who recently moved to Windsor.

The goal is to have at least 220 booths to create a Friday-through-Sunday market similar to Dr. Flea’s Flea Market in Toronto and the Gibraltar Trade Centers in Michigan, he said.

Alshamma and his partners are renting 40,000 square feet of the Windsor Expo Centre and converting it into booths from which it is expected vendors will be selling furniture, home accessories, electronics, clothing, shoes and other new merchandise. The operators have all the permits required, he said.

“It’s an exciting concept,” said Doug Lepain, who manages the expo centre for Toronto owner Malik Khalid.

The operators will be spending “a significant amount of money on renovations, including cubicles, lighting, flooring, walls and painting. It’s become a major project and it’s exciting to see it coming together,” Lepain said.

“The goal is to offer local vendors and small business owners a venue to sell their merchandise and to give local residents a place to find new, quality merchandise at a reasonable price.”

The Gibraltar Trade Centres were established in 1980 and in addition to selling merchandise, the centres stage trade, wellness, autograph and entertainment shows throughout the year.

[north 42]

Neat, I used to work with her sister in the 80s when she and her sister had shops next to each other, where Phog is now. One was a salon and the other a clothing shop.

See below

[Symz]

post deleted, it was a duplicate

[Symz]

The city has bought the Grace Hospital site.



source: http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/11/23/city-buys-grace-site/

City buys the Grace Hospital site

The City of Windsor has purchased the former Grace Hospital site and intends to take “immediate action” to clean up the eyesore, The Star has learned. City council agreed unanimously to the approve the deal in a hastily-called in-camera meeting Friday morning. The deal for the closed hospital — long an embarrassment for the city and area politicians — closed late this afternoon. Details are expected to follow shortly.

The CBC is reporting the city paid $2.3 million as seen in this link
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2012/11/23/wdr-windsor-grace-.html

[RoseCityFreePress]

I Hope after the building is gone that they do something good with the sight that will make the value of that area better.