Over on Windsor’s west side, there is an impending demolition brewing.
On Sunset Avenue there is a small grouping of five houses. A small remnant of of how the area once looked before the University of Windsor Moved in. Many other Universities seem to have a habit of including existing structures in the area into the campus.
However, not the University of Windsor. Their first love is surface parking lots. A quick look as evidenced by map above shows 20 surface lots in the immediate vicinity of the University.
How many parking garages you ask? Oh, that’s easy, none. The U of W would rather destroy the vibrancy and urban feel of the surrounding neighborhood rather than build a garage.
So seeing as there is so little vacant land available, the University feels it necessary to demolish these five house to build a new school building. Bye-bye streetscape, hello junk architecture. For what it’s worth, I haven’t seen a rendering of the new building, but if it looks anything like any of the other uninspired buildings the University has built in the last 10-15 years, I’m sure it will be hideous.
The 5 houses scheduled for demolition span a broad range of Architectural Styles from about 1920-1950. One of which is a listed building on the City’s listing of Properties of Historical Interest.
So U of W alumnus, wave good bye to the grad house, and to the Tudor style house it sits in. Swing by for one last drink before it’s gone forever. Its days are numbered, and when the Alumni Group tries to hit you up for money, tell them to build a parking garage.
Yeah a parking garage is definitely needed. I’ve seen some tastfully done garages in the States, no doubt they’d just build a huge concrete mess though. Ideally, they could fit a garage in the space where Prince of Wales school sits, and have some sort of pedestrian walkway over Wyandotte from the garage (students getting hit crossing from the lots all the time). But hey! I bet that would cost waaay more than they’d care to spend.
Parking is still a nightmare on campus though, they oversell parking passes, and there aren’t enough spots most mornings (I’ve taken to parking 10 blocks away for class and simply walking). I heard a rumour that the University Administration was considering their options on a parking garage, but nothing has been said even unofficially that I know of yet. Maybe they will eventually build one, and dedicate it to their closest ally, Matty Moroun! 🙁
I had heard that the University was trying to purchase the big parking lot in front of the Student Center from Assumption Church to build a parking garage, but the Church won’t sell the land. I guess the Church makes a good profit from the lots now, and the Church does not want to loose that cash flow.
I can’t believe they are going to destroy all those buildings – especially the Grad House! That was my favourite building on campus and housed a lot of great memories. I don’t think the university gets that some students don’t want to go to school there BECAUSE the buildings are so ugly. Instead of attending U of WIndsor, I went to an offshoot campus of Wilfrid Laurier University BECAUSE the campus buildings are all renovated historical structures and its one of the most beautiful and historically responsible campuses in Canada.
It’s a shame to see the Grad House go. I attended U of W in 1981 – 83 and have some good memories of the Grad House of that time. It was located a bit south of the current one, and was demolished to make way for the new Business Building. I’m sure many more recent students likewise have good memories of the current building.
I thought a parking garage was going to be built years ago on the north side of University Avenue, a couple of blocks east of the campus. I guess that plan came to nothing.
http://www.walkervilletimes.com/index.htm
This is the site to read an article about my grandfather, Art Gignac, the bootlegger brother of Sir Harry Gignac, former owner of the grad house. Sir Harry was my great uncle and Art Gignac was my grandfather. I was born in Art’s blind pig at the corner of Wyandotte and Windsor. I authored the story of the “Gentleman Bootlegger” when I freelanced for the Times. It is quite interesting that the home of Harry, a Gregorian Knight and one who never appreciated his brother’s occupation, is used as a grad house and the Sunset Bar.
Tom Paré
So I’m guessing the demolition didn’t happen? This is a good thing but why is the last house nowhere to be found along Sunset Ave? Could someone enlighten me as I’m new to the University area.