I’m sure by now everyone has seen King Eddie’s latest legacy scheme. I’m not quite sure what to make of this plan, but I don’t like the idea of removing the last remnants of the residential area west of downtown for a hair-brained scheme like this.
It seems like this mayor is always after the silver bullet solution, rather than trying to fix the things in this city that are broken… But I digress…
If you haven’t seen the plan yet, click here for high res version of the photo above.
Judging by the concept drawing supplied by his highness, it looks like all of the area shaded in yellow will be obliterated. In fact Chatham St. will cease to exist west of Church St.
I took a little cruise through the area last night to show off the sights to those of you that aren’t familiar with the area. Here’s a mid-century hydro sub-station.
A nice, well kept little house on Bruce.
Next door to that one, at the corner of Bruce and Pitt is the J. H. Beattie house, listed as being built c. 1892.
This currently commercial section of row houses along Chatham was formerly the offices of the Walkerville Times.
An old early 1900’s duplex.
Hard to tell from the renderings, but it looks like these two older buildings along Pitt St. between Chatham & Janette may be saved. One is currently the home of Acapulco Delight, who already had to move once when their building on Victoria just south of University was demolished for a much needed parking lot.
A view south along Janette from Pitt.
I suppose we’ll have to wait and see, but if Eddie’s track record counts for anything, than there’s nothing to worry about as it will never get done…
What do you guys make of this plan? For the out of towners, click here to read the media’s coverage…
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Sorry...3 months. December, January and February is when we get actual snow and it gets really cold at night. But October and November have been pretty darn warm the past few years. People are out on thier motorcycles till early December nowadays!
To JB. I'll say it again. If you stand at the foot of this proposed marina, you see three highrises and a marina built outwards from the Detroit side of the river. How come the US Coast guard allowed them to build it? Mapquest 300 Riverfront Dr, Detroit, MI and click on aerial image http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Detroit&state=MI&address=300+Riverfront+Dr#a/mapsprint/l::300+Riverfront+Dr:Detroit:MI:48226-4516:US:42.324272:-83.05645:address:Wayne+County/m:hyb:13:42.324272:-83.05645:0::/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e This marina looks like it has more wells than the proposed marina and doesn't look like it would cost more than half a million to build on the Canadian side. The Detroit River isn't that deep and I don't see costly breakwater to break the water on the US side; it's just a cheap pontoon perimeter surrounding the marina.
I think that this is a great concept and costs can largely be covered by the increased value of land sold to developers. The city already owns most of the land, so they would generate the sale proceeds to cover the cost of the marina/canal. I love heritage buildings and believe in trying to save every one. However, the reality is that downtowns are dynamic places and higher density rules. Older residential houses in general will not last there, they need to be moved (my preference) or demolished. In most cities, the land in the downtown has been rebuilt several times. Most of Windsor's noteable buildings (icluding heritage ones) in the downtown replaced old farmhouses and log cabins. In Calgary and Toronto, they tear down 20 storey buildings to build higher. Those 20 storey buildings once replaced 2 and 3 storey commercial buildings that replaced houses before them. Also, the notion of lack of demand for housing is ridiculous. Do not judge the future by 2008. Windsor has seen thousands and thousands of cookie cutter raised ranches built on prime farmland in the past 15 years. We need to focus future development (and it will come) on urban redevelopment and density increase. This is something that could truly transform the image that others have of our city and that those who live here have of their city and themselves.
David is right. It makes better sense to have a bigger marina with a real breakwall set up at the foot of Caron, and inset a little towards riverside drive if the USCG has issues.
The marina on the detroit side is set back as well and doesn't look like it iterferes with the freighter traffic
David, the Port Authority is against it that is one of the reason the marina was never built at the foot of Marentette. The insurance is much too high and the end result will be that once one act of vandalism happens they would chain off the entire area and thus block access to a public marina.
I like the marina part but that is about all.
MJD, the marina would use Detroit river water but the canal would use Municipal water and pumps would move it along so that it doesn't stagnate.
ME, there isn't a marina directly across the River on the Detroit side at Marenette, but there is one from Caron. So, it doesn't mean the Port Authority would say the same thing here with the marina outwards from the Windsor mainland. And, if they do, the decision can always be appealed because a precedent exists for it with the marina directly across the river from it using that method. I don't want to see $70+ million tax dollars wasted on this bondoogle when a much larger marina could be built along the river in the same area for a fraction of the cost.
This much cheaper method could also use that proposed dredging area for parking as I don't see parking lots in the diagram above. Where the hell is everyone supposed to park for this $70 million marina proposal? And what happens to the lost parking spaces along Chatham St. that exist now. Also, isn't the parking lot along Caron St. long-term leased/deaded to St. Clair College for parking? How do you break that lease?
As for insurance, insurance is the cost of doing business and if they're doing it on the other side of the river then it must be realistically feasible to do it on this side, esp. since the US has more insurance claims and insurance premiums are typically higher in the US.
ME, wouldn't the same 'vandelism' claim apply to the canal sketch marina?? There would need some sort to be security there in any case.
A marina at marentette wont fly because port authority and CAW don't like it because of insurance and fensesetc...
A marina dug out at caron ave will fly? because why?
Don;t shoot the messenger, this is just what I have been told by both the Port Authority and the City of Windsor as to why the marina wasn't built whre it was supposed to go. Personally I think a marina right on the river is a crappy idea because it will be a fact that once any vandalism occurs (and it will) they will fence it off. So much for continued parkland along wthe waterfront...
As for parking for St. Clair, they barely use it anyway and ther is a lot of parking that is not utilized downtown as it is. The mytho of no parking downtown is just that. A myth!
So its the Port Auth. and CAW that need to explain their flip flopping comments
Geesh.. already this all is sounding very suspect....
In order for a canal to benefit the downtown area it has to serve an economic purpose like the Welland canal. Otherwise it becomes another giant ditch that leads nowhere. We need more small-scale industry and locally owned and operated business in our core to create a healthy living environment, not another tourist attraction that only caters to people from out of town.