Windsor Ontario News / Buildings, Homes & Real Estate

DT depot plans on hold as much as ever

The conversion of the former downtown Greyhound bus deposit, one of four parts of a new $32.6 million Windsor downtown mini creative arts campus, is still on hold, after the university suspended plans for redevelopment because of poor sub-soil conditions. “The status on the former bus terminal building has not changed and there is no new information available as yet on its redevelopment,” university spokeswoman Lori Lewis says. The plan was to convert the 1940 building for classrooms but that was shifted to the former Tunnel BBQ building across the street. There was also talk of having it be a campus social hub. Other than some slight exterior work last year the building is as abandoned as ever but with huge gray university logos over its former picture windows. The problem was that, after acquiring the property, the university was informed that demolishing most of the structure – other than the University Ave. façade – and doubling the size to 15,000 sq. ft., wouldn’t be feasible. That’s because the building sits atop the Windsor-Detroit tunnel and excavation and additional weight from an expanded building could damage the underground tube. – 16/7/18

Pending ... pending

A Sold sign has finally been stuck on the CBRE listed property that used to house the Ontario tourism office on Huron Church Rd. But the final sale still hasn’t gone through, according to Jeff Giffen of Infrastructure Ontario’s real estate and lending division. It’s “not 100 per cent final,” he said, alluding to a closing date. The property was listed in 2013 after a year’s extension to a planned closure in 2012. Local officials persuaded the province to keep the bureau open at Canada’s busiest border crossing. The province had decided to close the office to save money at the same time it had created a tourist office in the then new ONroute service centre in Tilbury. Giffen said no exact value was put on the 1.3-acre property with a 3600 sq. ft. building. Instead Infrastructure Ontario opened bidding in a “competitive process.” Stay tuned. – 6/26/18

Drive - thru resto at A'burg Sobeys site?

The Town of Amherstburg is holding a public meeting to consider a rezoning change to allow fast food operations on the current Sobeys store site in Amherstburg. The land in question is identified as 83 Sandwich St S., the same address as Sobeys. Windsor’s Mikhail Holdings developed the site and a faded billboard advertises “Will Build to Suit, Prime Retail Space Available” adjacent to the Sobeys store. Specifically, says the town planning dept., the zoning change would be “to maximize the usage of the site and allow for a drive-through restaurant on the subject property.” The meeting will be May 10, 5 pm at council chambers. – 1/5/18

Hydrants glow in the day and in the night

Motorists driving along local roads may have noticed something new in recent weeks – circular blue reflectors around the side arms of fire hydrants. LaSalle’s Front Road is a good place to see them. Fire chief Dave Sutton says the rings “have recently become available” and are a “cost-effective alternate to painting required colours on the hydrant.” The rings “are highly visible in daytime & night time conditions which also assists in locating hydrants quickly in emergencies.” Sutton said the local public works department, which manages the water system, “has begun installing the discs on a phased in approach over several years.” – 16/8/17

Developer scouting heritage building

Fresh from buying and in the process of restoring the more than 100-year-old Walker Power Building along Riverside Dr. E., engineer Piero Aleo (pictured inside that structure) says he’s “interested” in a similar redevelopment of the Lufkin Rule building on Caron Ave. “I have been speaking to Chris Holt about the building. We are interested to look at it,” Aleo said. “The location is less than ideal and that’s what concerns me.” The city wants to demolish the 1904 building. That’s been put on hold for six months while the city tries to sell the abandoned structure, about which it has structural safety concerns. The city took ownership of the once private building, which housed various businesses, in 2012. Councillor Chris Holt said it was ironic the city has let the building rot in place. It’s on the city’s heritage register. - 11/5/17

Rent controls would kill budding new apt market - economist

High profile Canadian bank analyst Benjamin Tal (left) says the worst thing the province could do to kill a budding apartment construction industry is bring back rent controls, which don’t exist for new buildings. Tal, CIBC’s deputy chief economist, was reacting to a call to reintroduce the controls because of a more than 10 per cent average rent increase in Toronto last year due to the shift in apartment construction because of the city’s overheated housing market. Some 5000 new apartment units are about to hit the market with 28,000 proposed. Tal said some developers are already cancelling projects. “Even the very mention of rental control as an option is having a chilling effect on developers,” the Financial Post quoted Tal as saying. “From recent discussions with developers we know that it’s already impacting decisions.” – 7/4/17

New Ouellette health centre has wow factor

A new medical landmark is taking shape on Ouellette Avenue but the doctors involved in the clinical practice aren’t interested in talking about it. Requests by WON.com to obtain comment from physicians at the Smile and Body clinic were turned down. According to the clinic’s website there are four physicians practicing as aesthetics doctors including Chris Blue and Herman Kupeyan. The clinic provides dentistry and implant dentistry, facelifts, acne scar-removal and neck lifts. If aesthetics is the name of the game the doctors surely will have a spectacular new building that symbolizes it, full of different levels and lots of glass. The office at 1083 Ouellette (aka Ouellette Health Centre) at the corner of Pine St. has been temporarily moved while the centre, originally a large older house, gets the makeover, enveloped by the new construction. Keystone General Contractors of Windsor, whose portfolio includes Lighting Boutique on Walker and Leopards Lounge on Wyandotte St., got the commission. – 21/2/17

Old - not heritage - garage, coming down

An old garage that makes up part of a piece of land for a new Sandwich Towne library will be torn down. But other older buildings on the site, including a horse stable, will remain in place when the new John Muir Public Library starts construction, likely this spring. The three door garage has no significant value, according to a city report. “It is a minor property feature, less than half the size of the adjacent stable,” it says. “This garage structure has a hodgepodge of concrete block ... and in some areas severely deteriorated.” Once demolished the area will be landscaped. The new library will incorporate “adaptive reuse” of the fire hall, fronting on Mill Street, as well as the stable located between the hall and garage. City project manager Joe Dattilo said “designated substances” like asbestos and lead will have to be removed. The city is receiving proposals for prequalification from contractors. Tenders will go out this spring. The new building will link the fire hall and stable, separated by about 30 ft. Parking will be located where a gravel lot now exists. John Muir was a former local principal and tireless advocate for a Sandwich library. He died in July. Up to now the library has shared space with General Brock Public School. – 5/1/17