So the city is leaning in support of a big box development being proposed by Coco development immediately east of the old Windsor raceway and adjacent to the Ojibway Prairie Grass Reserve.
I don't understand how the city can say they're working hard to revitalize downtown and yet approve MORE big box development on the outer boundries of the city which will only serve to attract people away from the core of the city yet again.
Environmentalists who have waged a seven-year battle against a developer’s plan for a big-box commercial project at the doorstep of the Ojibway Prairie Complex lost a last-ditch appeal to city council Monday night.
“The potential for damage … is too great for rare and endangered species,” said Roger Dzugan of the CAW Windsor Regional Environment Council.
But council decided to reaffirm a decision it made in 2007 giving the green light to Coco Development Inc. for a parcel of land adjacent to Windsor Raceway and immediately south of Ojibway Park along Matchette Road. The matter is still before the Ontario Municipal Board, but the developer has submitted a proposal to the province under a rarely used clause of Ontario’s Endangered Species Act that allows development in protected areas.
“I hope the developer loses at the OMB — this land is worth saving,” said Ward 7 Coun. Percy Hatfield. Council reaffirmed its 2007 decision in a 6-3 vote, with Ward 4′s Alan Halberstadt and Ward 10′s Al Maghnieh joining Hatfield on the side of the environmentalists. Ward 9 Coun. Hilary Payne was absent.
ut Hatfield later told The Star the three opposition votes will likely not carry much sway with the OMB, which has already recorded the city’s support for the Coco proposal. The developer is unwilling to sell the land or exchange it for other developable city lands, Coco lawyer Mary Bull told council.
Ward 2 Coun. Drew Dilkens said current and past councils always had the opportunity to expropriate the land in question but that never happened. He reiterated the original reason for council’s support of the big-box development, to ensure less-intrusive commercial development, occurs on property originally rezoned to allow for hundreds of new homes.
Coco’s recently revised plan, which Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources is still reviewing, would see about 10 acres from its 47-acre holdings east of recently closed Windsor Raceway carved out to establish a “restoration area” and natural buffer between the development, at the corner of Matchette Road and Sprucewood Avenue, and Ojibway park.
But the proposal hasn’t found much favour from activist Nancy Pancheshan and her Save Ojibway group, which argues the plan cannot offset the disturbances to a fragile ecosystem from the development proposed. Citing Coco’s own numbers, city director of operations Mike Palanacki said the 400,000-square-foot development (down from the original 500,000-square-foot proposal) would see traffic levels along Matchette increase 60 per cent, or 5,300 vehicles per day more than the approximately 7,500 per day counted in 2009.
Pancheshan’s numbers are even higher but, after questioning, she said they were culled from Coco’s own reports. She said the reports that city council relied on in 2007 were later found by the province to be “severely flawed,” for example by trying to count rare plant species before they were in bloom or do snake surveys on the hottest summer days.
A number of opponents who spoke out Monday night pointed to Windsor’s abundance of currently vacant commercial property across the city.
“This proposal does not make sense from a business perspective,” said Vince Skinner. He pointed to scientific literature stating “no other site in Ontario supports such a concentration of rare species.”
So the city is leaning in support of a big box development being proposed by Coco development immediately east of the old Windsor raceway and adjacent to the Ojibway Prairie Grass Reserve.
I don't understand how the city can say they're working hard to revitalize downtown and yet approve MORE big box development on the outer boundries of the city which will only serve to attract people away from the core of the city yet again.
I'm very angry about this. I run in this area and it is already difficult to cross Matchett Road, not to mention your point about coaxing more people away from the city.
For the tax revenue. If Windsor doesn't get it then LaSalle will. Just another reason why we need to annex both LaSalle and Tecumseh in order to better control what goes on in the suburban areas.
For the tax revenue. If Windsor doesn't get it then LaSalle will. Just another reason why we need to annex both LaSalle and Tecumseh in order to better control what goes on in the suburban areas.
Exactly! Windsor needs to annex Tecumseh, Lasalle and the western parts of lakeshore in order to control growth and keep the city viable.
__________________ Windsor Ontario, Canada's southern most city!
Exactly! Windsor needs to annex Tecumseh, Lasalle and the western parts of lakeshore in order to control growth and keep the city viable.
Well, even though we know that's what should have happened when the province forced municipalities to merge and find efficiencies, instead Tecumseh gave Windsor a large swath of mostly undeveloped land south of the airport, east of Walker Road. This is supposed to keep Windsor going for the next 30 some odd years I think?
It's going to be a long and slow struggle for the downtown if the city is going to have to constantly compete against the outlying communities always trying to drop down these 'smart centre' big box shopping plazas.
don't forget they just rezoned the entire area west of Walker rd. to be low-density residential. Doesn't that sound great? When every other city is trying to intensify their downtowns and increase population densities, Windsor is creating more suburban development, allowing people to move further from the core. Not to mention struggling Transit Windsor will have no hope of providing service to this area.
“(The project) is in downtown Windsor so we have to maintain traffic and maintain clear access to the tunnel,” said Nasser Shahatto, who oversees contracts for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s Windsor Border Initiatives Implementation Group. “So far we’ve been able to maintain that.”
Traffic continues to enter the tunnel from north-south Goyeau Street, which will eventually be closed for one block with traffic entering this secure area from the Goyeau-Wyandotte streets intersection on the south and City Hall Square street on the north but with access there restricted to Nexus pass holders.
The plaza’s footprint will be expanded three times from its current west side of Goyeau location to encompass Goyeau’s east side, where several businesses had to be demolished.
When the new plaza opens, vehicles will enter and, depending on traffic volume, use an elongated two-lane loop that will wrap around the plaza eventually directing vehicles to existing toll booths. Should there be less traffic, gates will cut off the loop and vehicles will be sent directly to the toll booths. Overhead ITS signs will advise motorists before entering the plaza.
“In low volume hours they will be able to take a short cut and access the toll booth in a similar fashion as they do now,” Shahatto said.
The other big changes will be a new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) two storey building at the southwest corner and a new maintenance garage for official tunnel vehicles at the southeast corner.
Windsor’s Coco Paving Inc. was awarded the contract which included installation of new sewer and water mains. Rosati Construction of LaSalle is erecting the buildings.
Besides the new traffic queuing loop and dedicated Nexus lane the privately owned duty free store will see a slight expansion in parking space and reconfiguration to improve traffic flow in the tight compound directly before the tunnel entrance.
As well, three new inspection bays for trucks will be built in front of the CBSA building. Buses will also be inspected there rather than having to share lanes with motorists.
The plaza is in the heart of downtown Windsor, one block east of busy Ouellette Ave. and sandwiched between high rise apartment buildings. A five metre high barrier wall will line the plaza’s east side.
Flume modelling analyzed vehicle exhaust diversion and the barrier, along with extensive landscaping, is expected to provide “significant benefit” to residents, according to a MTO report. Landscaping includes mature coniferous and deciduous trees.
Alternative lines of tall grasses and flowering trees, representative of southwestern Ontario’s unique Carolinian forest, will line the loop’s interior.
There will be two 3.6 metre clock towers at the north and south entrances. Decorative masonry walls will line the entrance sides.
A block of Victoria Avenue between University Avenue and Chatham Street will be converted from one-way to two-way traffic in the coming weeks.
The change is meant to help with traffic flow in that section of the downtown where one-block sections of nearby Chatham and Pitt streets have been closed to accommodate the new $78-million Family Aquatic Complex.
Josette Eugeni, the city’s manager of transportation planning, said the changes to Victoria — which include converting the parallel parking on the east side of the street to angled parking and adding a new bus stop — should be done in time for the Aug. 14 to 19 International Children’s Games when the aquatic centre will be open.
The recommendation to make Victoria two-way comes from a recently completed traffic study to look at ways to improve access to the new aquatic centre once it is open and people are driving to it, and to accommodate bus traffic to and from the adjacent Transit Windsor terminal.
“We have sufficient capacity in the network (of nearby roads) to manage the increase in traffic,” said Eugeni, who also said there will be sufficient parking around the complex, with a variety of municipal off-street lots, private off-street lots and on-street spots available.
The total cost of the changes to Victoria is $4,000.
It's smart; it looks like it's the parking garage for the aquatic centre. It also helps blend the neighbourhood.
Yes it's the next best thing I suppose considering the aquatic centre doesn't fit in with the existing neighbourhood at all and at the same time cuts off the western portion of what the city deems 'the core'. It's more similar to a factory that has been placed downtown that bears no similarity to anything it is being placed near.
You notice you can see a lot of red brick that was heavily used in Windsor. At some point the city even must have urged newer developments to keep in the same style of the area, hence the Hilton, Quality Suites, and bus station using the same colour palette.
Then at some point the city decided to throw that out the window and put a grey metal factory looking building downtown.
The people who have maintained these charming older homes/neighbourhood in the core waiting for something positive to happen to the western portion of downtown are probably ecstatic that they're now cut off from downtown and have to stare at this..
The former Riverside Inn in downtown Windsor will offer "luxury student housing" for more than 200 students come September.
Domus Student Housing, Inc. and the Vrancor Group are behind the project.
"On Sept. 1, 205 students will move into new luxury student housing on the Windsor waterfront," the companies said in a joint statement. "Club Riverside, a premium student living development, has converted a historic inn to serve students at the University of Windsor and St. Clair College."
In addition to the suites, Club Riverside will have a number of planned shared amenities, including a theatre room, group study area, single study cubicles, an indoor pool and fitness area and conference rooms.
“The suites are move-in ready,” Ho Tek, a partner at Domus Student Housing Inc., which is renting out the development, said in a statement. “Students will enjoy luxurious shared and private accommodations, with private bedrooms, each with a king-sized bed. Each suite has extra large working desks, and comes with high-speed Internet, perfect for studying, doing research, or staying in touch with family.”
The building overlooks the Detroit River at 333 Riverside Dr. W. and is close to both the University of Windsor’s downtown campus as well as the St. Clair College downtown campus.
There are 205 rooms and the capacity is 280. Some rooms are double occupancy.
Rents with a kitchen and bathroom start at $745 per month, based on eight month leases, and include a free Transit Windsor bus pass. A room with a riverfront view is $795 per month.
Occupants of a double room pay $425 each and have a shared kitchen. front view.
Over the past two weeks they have signed up 20 tenants.
Students can stay in a dorm style room with someone else for $425 with shared kitchen amenities or in a two bedroom split for $450.
The companies have started forming partnerships in the down town core to try and stimulate business while giving their tenants what they call a "sense of exclusivity by trying to get them deals at downtown shops and restaurants."
So far, Loose Goose Restopub and Iguana Sushi have agreed to discounts in exchange for advertising rights within the building.
The companies say combined full-time enrollment at the two schools is 19,900 students. It says the two schools combine to offer 1,726 beds.
The companies say that's not enough beds and that there isn't close to enough student housing downtown, where the two schools are expanding.
Last edited by Symz; Jul 23, 2013 at 4:46 PM.
Reason: The source article was edited with more information added, so I updated the post.
Yes it's the next best thing I suppose considering the aquatic centre doesn't fit in with the existing neighbourhood at all and at the same time cuts off the western portion of what the city deems 'the core'. It's more similar to a factory that has been placed downtown that bears no similarity to anything it is being placed near.
You notice you can see a lot of red brick that was heavily used in Windsor. At some point the city even must have urged newer developments to keep in the same style of the area, hence the Hilton, Quality Suites, and bus station using the same colour palette.
Then at some point the city decided to throw that out the window and put a grey metal factory looking building downtown.
The people who have maintained these charming older homes/neighbourhood in the core waiting for something positive to happen to the western portion of downtown are probably ecstatic that they're now cut off from downtown and have to stare at this..
which fits right in with the neighbourhood..
I prefer the taupe colour brick to the red on the aquatic centre, it actually matches the colour of the stone/brick of the Art Gallery well.
I'm gonna wait till everything is finished to make a judgement on the final appearance of the aquatic centre. Once all the landscaping and finishing touches are in place, I think it will be an attractive building and a good addition to downtown.
__________________ Windsor Ontario, Canada's southern most city!
I think this is a good use of this building, it adds more people living downtown, and helps the other hotels in the area by providing less competition, making them more profitable.
I hope they eventually paint or reclad this building in a new colour, it looks so dated, especially now that the aquatic centre is nearing completion, and the parking garage is looking really good in it's new colours.
__________________ Windsor Ontario, Canada's southern most city!
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