WINDSOR | Construction - News and Development

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by FrostyMug

Land where Abars used to stand is owned by the Moroun family who believed it had potential for a second bridge to the US. I've heard chatter that the City wants to buy the land but so far they don't want to sell. (There's a better chance of me hitting the 6/49 52 weeks in a row than there is of a bridge being built there but leverage...)

The Morouns. May as well hope they shower the south side of the river with cash blown from their buttholes.

While there is lots of parkland along the river (one of my favourite things Windsor has accomplished... I am old enough to remember when rails dominated the riverfront) keeping this property as such wouldn't be a bad idea.

[Mick42]

Though logistically it would make a bit of sense, a bridge connection from Lauzon artery to Belle Isle would destroy lots of neighbourhoods, business, and parkland on both sides of the River. It would’ve also cost a ton to have done it that way. What we’re getting with Gordie Howe downriver makes the most sense, glad they went that route. Would definitely be nice to have another park at the former Abars property.

[DieselXL]

https://www.citywindsor.ca/documents...y%20Render.pdf

Progress being made on the Chatham street proposal from a while back

[north 42]

Nice to see this proposal still alive.

[Symz]

I'd love to see this project go ahead. Many years back; probably a decade ago there was a project proposed for this lot that I shared a picture of in here and this is a hundred times better looking.

I hope it goes through. Downtown needs all the help it can get.

I am curious to see if I can dig up the photo of the last proposed project on this lot.

Edit: Found it! This was the last proposed project for that lot that I remember.


source: https://windsorstar.com/news/local-n...al-development

"Owners of a long-vacant property in Windsor's core believe the time is right to develop a 12,975-square-foot site they have owned since 1988." -2014

So it's been a vacant lot for at least 36 years. This design back in 2014 was already screaming 90's, so I think we dodged a bullet.

[Symz]

From City Council May 6th Meeting Agenda

11.1. Brownfield Redevelopment Community Improvement Plan (CIP) application submitted
by St. Rhodes Development & Leasing Corporation for 1247 Riverside Drive East (Ward
4) (S 52/2024

[Yerbamate]

I will be impressed if any of these proposals actually get built this year or next. City council and builders love to drag their feet in this City. We are slacking severely compared to other cities in Southwestern Ontario.

[Blitz]

^ There are many proposals in London and Kitchener that are dragged out forever as well.

[ericmacm]

Windsor has been especially bad for it though. Kitchener and London have both had plenty of frustration regarding projects that have not come to fruition, but this has changed significantly over the past few years, especially in Kitchener.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by ericmacm

Windsor has been especially bad for it though. Kitchener and London have both had plenty of frustration regarding projects that have not come to fruition, but this has changed significantly over the past few years, especially in Kitchener.

This is why I don't hold my breath anymore. I'll get excited if I see shovels in the ground.

That being said a lot of projects end up coming out half baked in the end.

[Mick42]

This is entirely accurate. I have visited London frequently and noticed their downtown doing well construction wise, even though they have the same street level issues with homelessness. I didn’t realise how well Kitchener was doing until I just checked their city diagram, the 9 tallest buildings have all been constructed in the last 4 years, 3 of which are still under construction. Best we can do in Windsor is propose a 4 storey stump tower which doesn’t get approved. Pains me to wonder how long Caesar’s will be our tallest building.

[DieselXL]

Originally Posted by Mick42

This is entirely accurate. I have visited London frequently and noticed their downtown doing well construction wise, even though they have the same street level issues with homelessness. I didn’t realise how well Kitchener was doing until I just checked their city diagram, the 9 tallest buildings have all been constructed in the last 4 years, 3 of which are still under construction. Best we can do in Windsor is propose a 4 storey stump tower which doesn’t get approved. Pains me to wonder how long Caesar’s will be our tallest building.

The worst part is.... most of the proposals do get approved.

They just never get started.
I don't understand releasing information to the public sooooo far in advanced.
Plans and renderings and initial approvals... and then it's 3 years before any type of action is done, whether its canceled, scaled back, or properly started.

[jammer139]

In London there are probably 15-20 approved rezoning applications for low/med/high rise buildings that have never seen a detailed site plan application or a building permit application submitted by the owner. These owners have no intention or ability to ever build these projects and are only interested in bumping up the zoning of the property so they can flip it for a higher profit down the road to an actual developer. It only costs a few thousand dollars to apply for a rezoning. And there is zero requirement to submit the next applications once it is rezoned. Land speculators like this are not real developers.

[Mick42]

Originally Posted by DieselXL

The worst part is.... most of the proposals do get approved.

They just never get started.
I don't understand releasing information to the public sooooo far in advanced.
Plans and renderings and initial approvals... and then it's 3 years before any type of action is done, whether its canceled, scaled back, or properly started.

Yeah honestly I feel like 2021 saw the largest number of announcements for all kinds of projects downtown, and there hasn’t been any movement on anything. I hope before the end of the year at least one of those towers gets built.

[inter777]

Too many proposals have been slow to come to reality, if at all. Many Windsor developers would rather build in the surrounding towns it seems. Hence why the county is building and growing at a much higher pace. Lakeshore is quickly approaching 50k population (still no transit partnership with the city ). But atleast the towns are becoming denser. Every municipality has been building apartments which is good. I think Windsor city council needs to be more bullish and progressive with developers AND the surrounding municipalities (they seem to hate Windsor).

Edit: I recently spoke with someone involved with the Hyatt hotel under construction on huron church. Apparently they are the same developers that proposed the inspiration tower project downtown. They have plans to get that moving once the Hyatt is complete.

[DieselXL]

Originally Posted by inter777

Too many proposals have been slow to come to reality, if at all. Many Windsor developers would rather build in the surrounding towns it seems. Hence why the county is building and growing at a much higher pace. Lakeshore is quickly approaching 50k population (still no transit partnership with the city ). But atleast the towns are becoming denser. Every municipality has been building apartments which is good. I think Windsor city council needs to be more bullish and progressive with developers AND the surrounding municipalities (they seem to hate Windsor).

Edit: I recently spoke with someone involved with the Hyatt hotel under construction on huron church. Apparently they are the same developers that proposed the inspiration tower project downtown. They have plans to get that moving once the Hyatt is complete.

I knew they were the same developers as well and was wondering if that was the case.
The people that brough us The Hive on Pelissier street were also supposed to start up their next project kiddy corner to the hive itself on Wyandotte and Victoria. They had fencing up around the L shaped lot for a while but has been taken down and no further news.

I'm interested to see any conceptual plans for the tower going up behind the old Princess Auto. Its all fenced off. Heard about 9 or 10 stories tall but haven't seen any drawings what so ever.

[inter777]

Speaking of the core here is the official downtown revitalization plan report by the consultant firm Strategy Corp.

https://www.citywindsor.ca/documents...%2049-2024.pdf

[yupislyr]

Originally Posted by FrostyMug

Land where Abars used to stand is owned by the Moroun family who believed it had potential for a second bridge to the US. I've heard chatter that the City wants to buy the land but so far they don't want to sell. (There's a better chance of me hitting the 6/49 52 weeks in a row than there is of a bridge being built there but leverage...)

That land was one of the proposed new crossing landings back during the DRIC study and the Schwartz report. Perhaps even before it.

And buying that land was just to block potential competition. If the Morouns had their way, there'd be a new 8 lane at grade highway right through Sandwich right now.

CTC plans circa 2005

[north 42]

Six storey condo development being proposed near Caboto Club.


Looks like a perfect fit for the area, hopefully more of these types of developments sprout up all along Tecumseh Rd. and Wyandotte St.



https://www.am800cklw.com/news/six-s...boto-club.html

[inter777]

How many of these cookie cutter 6 storey condos can we build