Urban beach for downtown Windsor? (con't)
It has been a hit ever since.The beach is revolutionary in that it is simply sand, umbrellas and beach chairs, but there’s no swimming. A former parking lot was transformed with sand (picture left) and takes up two acres. “The park’s brightly coloured pink beach umbrellas and iconic candy-striped rock outcroppings welcome visitors to the new waterfront neighbourhood of East Bayfront,” Waterfront Toronto says. Pupatello told WON.com that in some ways the beach would work “even better” in Windsor because we have a longer summer season. As well, she said, with all the young people descending downtown to attend the college and future university offerings in a transformed campus-like downtown, a beach would lend itself to the kind of leisure and recreation pursuits young people enjoy, such as beach volleyball. Pupatello said that while the riverfront has areas such as Dieppe Gardens and memorial sites, there are other parts of the parkland that could be developed for a beach. “I don’t know what the logistics are like of upkeep of sand versus gardens but it merits a look,” she said, saying she got positive feedback from the public after the speech. Nor, she said, does she know how much it would cost, and said the province would “probably not” provide funding. “But I don’t think it’s an expensive venture anyway.” Toronto’s beach cost $14.3 million. A joint $100 million announcement among the city, the university and province last month would see a major reconfiguration of the downtown, bringing hundreds of students to the core. The beach wouldn’t offer swimming but in Toronto “people would never go jump in the lake even though it’s near water,” Pupatello said. She said that Windsor’s Saundpoint Beach is “to some degree” an urban beach but most people use it to sunbathe and don’t go in the water. “And there is virtually no economic spinoffs from its location.” Bruce Sudds, a spokesman for Waterfront Toronto, said Sugar Beach has been well used since opening. “I would say it’s been very popular – it is busy most days.” WindsorOntarioNews.com |
