Norwichian

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• That Virtual Motor City Project is a gold mine of information. I could look at it for hours.

• What city is that in the 2nd picture? The one with the exciting mix of new and old?

• Andrew did Yoda write the notes for the second picture? LOL

  Shawn it isn't Windsor. Windsor doesn't like "old" which is why there is nothing left of downtown. Nice "progress" by the city. I guess their ideas and agenda's either worked (depending on what they were trying to achieve) or didn't work. I think it is the latter.

  Now they want to tear down the block of Ouellette between Pitt and Chatham for another bank scheme. Is this another quick fix for downtown that will solve it's woes?

• Right ME, they're really gonna tear down anything in downtown anymore after the city sucked whatever economy was left out of downtown right out of downtown with their oppressive downtown property taxes. That was just a rumour. No one's gonna pay $1.8 milion for those two overpriced buildings held by dispicable carpet baggers that cover a tiny parcel of land and build an office tower on it when the office vacancy in downtown is over 30%. Show me the proof. Where is anything registered with the city that anything is gonna happen?? It's just a BS unsubstantiated rumour that's been going on for several months now to try to make it look like the city has actually been doing its job in promoting the city to the rest of Ontario.

• I don't disagree with you David and I wouldn't be surpised if you wren't that far off the mark. However, a few business owners were contacted with regards to this matter but it could be spin for spin sakes. Who knows?

  I think a bank still owns a portion of that block bu tI am not 100% certain. regardless, whoever is the slum lord needs to be taken to court over the mess and disrespect the building on that block shows to the rest of the city. Some of the windows are broken in the Manning house with no covers, plywood on other sections. What a disgrace!

• From what I understand, that slumlord is Coco.

• the first shot reminds me of a dream car classic car lot : )

  second photo reminds me of when i moved into the royal windsor terrace there with the sign on top advertising condos back then since it sat for so long. a lot of people from the far east bought up whole floors of condos back then. forget what my parents paid for theirs. not much, less than $48,000 i think. was a great time to buy back then.

• Nice pictures...

  The loss of the norwich block was a huge hit to me, because THAT's where downtown was to me. Downtown was eating in those restaurants and coffee shops. Downtown was seeing music at the spotted dog and taking dates to Fast Eddies. Kids just hung out there... it was a single block that felt like a neat city with a sense of community. It's why we hopped the crosstown 2 to go downtown.

  When it was gone, it was a pretty big message to me that this city doesn't give a shit about what I give a shit about. It's proved this time and time again since, but never so obvious.

  I've said it before, and I don't mean to sound doom and gloom. But.. so many younger people are leaving this city. The only thing that keeps a lot of young people in Windsor is that rent is so goddamn cheap here, and the University is so easy to get accepted to. The decisions made in this city don't appeal to young, interesting people. An obvious example I can give of this is how the city will cancel or reschedule outdoor music events at the request of old people living in nearby condos. They are sucking any potential life out of this city by pandering to the old and boring. Young people don't give a shit about 'city scaping' the sidewalks downtown or building a Bert Weeks Memorial Garden, they care about having a place to go and a cheap way of getting there.

  I've seen a lot of friends move on, and as much as I hate the idea of moving to another city... I feel as though it's necessary. Sure, there won't be any $250/mo rent in other cities.. but it's worth it to experience a city that gives a shit about young people, historical buildings, public space and public transportation.

• Well put Mike, I feel similarly. For a city that is always trying to revitalize its downtown, demolishing a few dozen thriving businesses to build a white elephant seems like an incredibly stupid move, but that's Windsor for you. One of this city's biggest problems is that it seems unable to plan for the future in any way, let alone show any kind of respect for the past. Consequently, it seems to exist only in the present, treading water day to day as the city sinks deeper into the mire.

  Also, as Mike said, many younger people are leaving the city. I know from personal experience that I watched most of my friends move away until I eventually moved away myself. I've been living in Toronto for just over three years now, and the difference between the two cities is like night and day. Granted, it's like comparing apples to oranges, but it's been an interesting experience for me to live in a thriving city as opposed to a dead/dying one. Don't get me wrong, I miss Windsor and would move back if I could, but there's nothing there for me work-wise. Maybe some day.

• Windsor doesn't plan for the future-it only plans for the present. The city assumes that the future will be just like the present so why bother planning for it?.