WINDSOR | Construction - News and Development

[Blitz]

I think if you read between the lines this article is telling us some bad news. First, Radisson pulled out of Windsor and the hotel was taken over by some rinky-dink company and turned into a hotel no one's ever heard of before. Now they might be selling it to Farhi? Including the Hilton?

Radisson did the same thing recently in London. They pulled out and some no name company operates their former hotel. I think it's more of a Radission issue than a Windsor issue.

[Symz]

A new article talking about the Paul Martin Building downtown that is being vacated by the feds. The mayor is hoping the U of W's law school will move into the building. Pending funding from higher levels of government..

source: http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/04/12/university-interested-in-paul-martin-building/

Mayor Eddie Francis is lobbying the University of Windsor to acquire and transform the Paul Martin Sr. office building into a downtown law school after Ottawa told the city it wants out of the federal building.

“I don’t like to miss an opportunity,” Francis said of the sudden availability of the landmark structure. “I can’t deny I’ve had discussions with the university,” he added.

University president Alan Wildeman is less forthcoming, saying his current focus is on establishing a downtown presence with classroom conversions of three heritage buildings — the former Armouries and Greyhound depot on University Avenue and the former home of the Windsor Star on Ferry Street.

But with the federal government formally advising the city of what had been rumoured for months — namely its intention to vacate the Paul Martin building — Wildeman has gone from a previous outright “no,” when asked about the issue, to a “no comment” now.

“I’m not in a position to say anything,” he told The Star. He said the issue was raised by the mayor again this week, but “I’m not in a position to talk about the nature of our conversation.”

Wildeman, however, spoke of the need for a new and expanded law school, about his desire to increase the university’s downtown campus footprint and the local legal community’s encouragement of a university law school presence in the core, which is home to the courts and many law firms. “There are many cities where a law faculty is located in the downtown,” he said.

During an editorial board meeting with The Star Wednesday, Wildeman spoke about some of his institution’s growth challenges, including being faced with 2,000 applications for only 150 spaces in its law school. Later that same day, Francis was back on the phone to Wildeman to discuss the Paul Martin Sr. building.

Wildeman told The Star the current law school is in “a great building” but that it’s too small. “It doesn’t meet the needs anymore of what a law school should provide,” he said.

As part of the university’s transformational strategy, getting an improved and expanded law school is something that only gets addressed in the next phase, set to begin in 2015 after the dust settles on the current $70-million downtown campus investment.

The U of W’s law school, which has about 600 students and faculty, is “extremely important — we want to make sure we get it right,” said Wildeman. As for jumping on opportunities as they present themselves, as suggested by the mayor, he said the 2015 start-up of the next phase of university development is “not an immoveable boundary.”

Asked why the Paul Martin building is a perfect fit for a law school but not a suitable one for a new city hall, Francis said it’s too small for a city hall. Also, while it would take millions of dollars to renovate and upgrade the historic Paul Martin building, the mayor said the university has access to capital funding from senior levels of government, while the cost of a new city hall is borne entirely by municipal taxpayers.

Francis said the city looked at alternatives but concluded that building a new city hall would be cheaper in the long run than fixing up the current building or re-purposing an existing building. He said discussions are also continuing on a proposal to have the approximately 350 federal employees in the Paul Martin building share space in a new city hall building, similar to the shared facilities at Windsor’s 400 City Hall Square building.

“One of the regrets I have when we did the deal with the university for the Armouries in 2010 was we weren’t able to bring down the law school,” said Francis.

In addition to handing over the Armouries and adjacent bus depot properties for a dollar each, the city also gave the university $10 million for renovation work. The province threw in another $25 million.

[north 42]

This is a great idea that I hope will happen, a win-win situation for both the city and the university. I feel that the Law School moving DT will create the critical mass needed for the core to really transform itself and prosper, and the university will have the much needed space to expand. Hopefully by then the city's economy will be stronger and highrise residential development and more retail will follow!

[Chadillaccc]

With the amount of students all of this University expansion will bring, they will probably have enough students for at least one tall-ish residence building... that would be kinda cool.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

With the amount of students all of this University expansion will bring, they will probably have enough students for at least one tall-ish residence building... that would be kinda cool.

It would be cool Chadillaccc, but, it won't be a new building. A recent article in the local paper basically says that an old Radisson hotel on prime piece of land on Windsor' Riverside Drive next to the Hilton apparently isn't worth using as a hotel anymore? But there are suggestions of turning it into student housing.

(Side note: I think the addition of the Casino and then the addition of it's second hotel tower, combined with the all the fallout of low numbers of people coming over from Michigan these days has essentially put a death sentence on some downtown hotels. It's tough to compete against the rooms & prices offered at the casino for any other hotel chain in the city's core.)

The building that may be converted to student housing is the old Radisson pictured on the right (the building doesn't even look this good anymore).


source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark81/5222158305/

I'm not overly excited about the potential conversion, it kind of feels like a making the best of a bad situation kind of thing but at least it wouldn't be empty and would put more warm bodies downtown.

It seems we're handing over more and more buildings for bargain basement prices to institutions so at least someone or something will still be downtown. I'm ok with the idea of satellite campuses downtown and putting students into the core, but is there a time when it becomes too much? I mean at this rate downtown is going to feel more like a campus.

[Chadillaccc]

At least they will (potentially) still be using it!

What about a new building for the Feds and City Hall or whatever?

[Symz]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

At least they will (potentially) still be using it!

What about a new building for the Feds and City Hall or whatever?

The local media has talked about it but there's nothing official happening as of yet.

We can hope! Lord knows Windsor needs some new buildings.

[Blitz]

You need the students first and then other retail and residential will follow. It's never going to feel like a campus. Just look at downtown Brantford...10 years ago it was easily the worst downtown in the province but the satellite campus there spurred all kinds of development. The current provost at UWindsor was instrumental in setting up the Brantford campus of WLU and that's what UWindsor is modelling this after.

[Symz]

Here's a small update on a few things going on downtown.

Here's a pic of the Million Dollar Saloon/Pharmacy & Physiotherapy office conversion




A picture of the old Windsor Star HQ. The side they ripped open to remove the old crabtree newspaper presses has been temporarily boarded up as work continues.




New cladding going up on the parking garage owned by Farhi

[Blitz]

Thanks for the pics...what's that Irish pub in the first pic? Is that place new?

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Blitz

Thanks for the pics...what's that Irish pub in the first pic? Is that place new?

It's the Kilt and Fiddle, used to be Mics's Irish Pub.

[Jacob]

New cladding going up on the parking garage owned by Farhi

The entire south side has now been cladded.

[north 42]

^
I thought it was very ugly when they started to reclad the garage, but it looks so much better now that the whole one side was finished. I also like that the colours were chosen to go with the blue roof of the transit depot and the greys and blues of the Aquatic Centre. The new cladding colours will really brighten up the area, I hated all that beige stucco everywhere. Now hopefully something will be done to the old Raddisson Hotel's exterior as well, I hope Farhi does buy and renovate this property!

[Symz]

The John Davis house origionally built in 1890 and known to many of us as the former home of Danny's strip club is being proposed to be torn down and replaced with a two storey office building which will occupy a smaller footprint than the currently standing building, and seems to be done in a style that fits in with the Walkerville area.

source: http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/04/29/...-and-its-hot-strippers-to-be-demolished/

It began as the stylish home of a staunch Catholic mayor before morphing into a hotel and ballroom gathering spot for Windsor society elite and then a riverfront drinking destination.

And on weekend nights in its final years of occupancy, the John Davis House at 1271 Riverside Dr. E. would draw crowds of women screaming their approval as male dancers stripped down.

“Danny’s never had a Saturday with less than a thousand people,” said owner Rob Katzman, proprietor of Danny’s and other Windsor strip clubs.

Thickening of the border, and a new passport requirement for travellers, saw business plummet, and Danny’s strippers had to put their clothes back on. It’s successor, relocated in 2008 to the former Jason’s strip club downtown, also eventually closed.

On Monday, city council will be asked to approve demolition of the 2 1/2 storey former home, hotel, tavern and strip bar, built around 1890 in the Italianate Revival style at the north end of Moy Hall, a farm and trading enterprise dating to the 18th century.

“Very little of the house is left,” said city heritage planner John Calhoun. The elegant porch had long since been covered in, and the original home has suffered large indistinct expansions and vinyl cladding.

The recommendation to council now is to let the bulldozers at it. Under the Ontario Heritage Act, councils have 60 days to consider a demolition application for any property, like the John Davis House, listed on a municipal heritage register.

“At this point it doesn’t matter … I wouldn’t go to bat for the Davis House,” said Evelyn McLean, Windsor’s first heritage planner.

John Davis, chief distillery inspector for the Dominion of Canada and principal shareholder of the Windsor Street Railway and Electric Light Plant, was elected Windsor’s mayor five times from 1897 to 1901. He lived there with his second wife, Frances Baby Davis, who was related to Windsor’s historic Baby family and was head of the local Catholic Women’s League and an altar society president.

As a widow, Baby Davis moved in 1921 to 1077 Ouellette Ave., the later-named Grayson House that city council voted last week to have demolished following a heated debate.

By 1923, the John Davis House had become the Scottish Rite (Masons) Home. In 1937 it was the Scrivens Hotel, and by 1940, as the Bellevue Hotel, it was hosting society parties. It later became the Bellevue Tavern, and in 1982 it was transformed into Danny’s of Windsor, featuring nude male dancers.

“The neighbours are going to love it … it’s not going to be a parking lot,” said Katzman, referring to the fate of a number of recent heritage demolitions across the city, including, soon, the Grayson House.

The plan is for a “very attractive” two-storey brick office building with a smaller building footprint than what is currently there, said Jeff Slopen, Katzman’s lawyer in the transaction. Such a development would require an application for a change from the property’s current residential zoning.

Slopen said the property is being sold to Dino Maggio’s Mid South Land Development Corporation.

The current building



The proposed new building.


I don't mind the style of the building, I just wish it was a bit bigger, and located downtown.

P.S. What's with Windsor tearing down all the heritage stuff? It's kind of sad, and I know that some buildings get to a point where it might not be worth saving, but we've torn down some other buildings that probably should still be standing.

[Symz]

The aquatic centre as of today

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

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Symz

The John Davis house origionally built in 1890 and known to many of us as the former home of Danny's strip club is being proposed to be torn down and replaced with a two storey office building which will occupy a smaller footprint than the currently standing building, and seems to be done in a style that fits in with the Walkerville area.

source: http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/04/29/...-and-its-hot-strippers-to-be-demolished/



The current building



The proposed new building.


I don't mind the style of the building, I just wish it was a bit bigger, and located downtown.

P.S. What's with Windsor tearing down all the heritage stuff? It's kind of sad, and I know that some buildings get to a point where it might not be worth saving, but we've torn down some other buildings that probably should still be standing.

I'm glad they're building something there instead of having another vacant lot. I wonder what will the new building is gonna be?

Edit: never mind, I just saw that it was gonna be for offices.

[Symz]

The finished building of the Windsor Star HQ.

source:http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/05/10/news-cafe-gala/


I'm not sure if the Green Bean Cafe has officially opened in there or not, and have no idea when CTV is moving out and WFCU moving in.

Anyways, it's a lot better than looking at that tired pink stucco of the Palace. Mind you it was a bit of a blow to the downtown losing a movie theatre, but it was underutilized.


This pic was just for fun from the gala opening.

[Chadillaccc]

Looks great! Go Windsor!! When is the Aquatic Centre scheduled to open?

[north 42]

The competition part will be open for he International Children's Games in August, then the waterpark side will open in the fall.

[cbyrne2014]

Transformation of the former Million Dollar Saloon in its final stages.

Before



Now



Article: http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/05/22/...lub-hands-over-adult-licence-with-video/

The rejuvenation of Windsor’s downtown was encapsulated in a single act Wednesday as the owners of the former Million Dollar Saloon strip club building handed over the adult entertainment licence to Mayor Eddie Francis.

Bill Arvanitis, president of Arvan Rehab Group, which is well on its way to converting the space into a multi-purpose medical building to be known as the Chatham Wellness Centre, came from Toronto for the symbolic handover.

“We’re very happy to have surrendered the licence,” said Arvanitis, who owns and operates similar complexes across the province.

“Yes, there may be some value associated to it, but it had no value to us. The city would benefit more from the licence being surrendered rather than having it flipped back into the community.”

The building’s front has been transformed from a windowless wall and tacky Million Dollar Saloon signs to a sleek metallic grey exterior with a number of large windows, all part of an overhaul costing between $1 and $2 million.

The strip club closed in early 2011.

“We’re thrilled to be part of the rejuvenation of the downtown core of Windsor,” said Arvanitis.

“We look forward to working with the university, working with St. Clair College and the community in general. We have a large interest in supporting the local businesses as well.”

The 15,000-square-foot space has been divided into three levels and will have an elevator.

A sports injury clinic operated by Athlete’s Care Sports Medicine Centres will be in the basement. At street level there will be a pharmacy and a walk-in clinic operated by Appletree Medical Group, as well as four physicians’ offices. Plans for the third level will be announced later.

Francis said that when the property went up for sale, he and University of Windsor president Alan Wildeman wondered “what would happen if this was sold and if somebody did open up an adult entertainment venue right across from the university.

“Talk about trying to recruit students to your campus. That would kill just about any prospects. This worked out very well.”

The city had 12 adult entertainment licences when a moratorium went into effect in 1985, and there are now just five.

“They now have something else they can do with this property as a result of everything else that’s happening around them,” said Francis.

“They don’t have to be doing what they used to be doing in this place. There’s different opportunities now.”

Arvanitis, whose company already has a presence in seniors’ care in Windsor and Essex County, said the prospects for Windsor’s downtown are similar to that for the part of downtown Toronto that was revived when Ryerson University took over the former Maple Leaf Gardens.

“Having been from Toronto myself we see the incredible impact that Ryerson University has had on the downtown core, particularly an area that was very underdeveloped and was having some difficult times,” said Arvanitis.

“As you all know Maple Leaf Gardens was closed and bunkered up and it now houses a Loblaws and Ryerson University’s Mattamy Centre, which is a large athletic complex including an ice rink. We’d love to see that kind of conditions existing here.”

Arvanitis said the clinic should be open in four to six months.