The death fences are up, and the clock is ticking down on the old Prince of Wales public school.
Once a key part of the surrounding neighbourhood, in the nearly two decades since its closure, the neighbourhood has nearly vanished. Most of the houses right near the school have given way to acres and acres of surface parking for the University or have been converted into student rentals.
The demographics of the area have changed, and some can argue that the closure of Prince of Wales was the catalyst to that change. The site will be home to the new Engineering Building for the University.
When originally designed, the building was intentionally situated on the site to sit opposite the road across the street. Walkerville Collegiate is also designed like this.
When originally designed by the Detroit architectural firm of Van Leyen, Schilling & Keough after World War One for the Sandwich School Board, the building was a simple 4 room school house. Several additions over the years changed the layout and feel of the original design.
As usual (and like a broken record this year it seems…), another part of Windsor’s past bites the dust.
The worst part is why couldn’t the University be forward thinking enough to at least commit to including the facade into the plans for the new facility as a way of preserving Windsor’s heritage.
It’s been said that the university has actually eaten up and sit out more of Windsor’s heritage than anyone else in this city – including the city itself. I have a hard time dissagreeing with that statement.
“spit” out, dammit!
I heard the city sold this buidling and the land to the University for a buck. The university sat on it for years without putting a penny into it, so it’s in a state that University claims it must come down. I’ve also heard that the Diocese now wants to unload Assumption Church on the University for a buck. If that happens, will the University put money into it or will it fall into a state where guess who will be anxious to demo another historic building for a post-modernistic stucco turd. Maybe an interesting history lesson. Maybe people will learn not to give the University any more historical buildings since they suck more than Chuck Mady when it comes to historical preservation.
I just think its rediculous that the land is going to be used for an engineering building. It does not matter what type Mechanical, Civil, Architectural, you would think there would be some sort of respect, or pride as they may see it as to how engineering has changed.
It was the school board who sold it to the University, not the City.
Also, there is no way Assumption would be sold for a dollar. The land alone is worth Millions.
Keep in mind as well that Assumption is designated, hence protected under the Ontario Heritage Act. It would be very hard to demolish.
BBS – The University going to salvage architectural sculptural elements from the school and reuse them on the grounds of the new facility.
As long as architects with no vision keep being hired for these jobs, and as long institutions like the University want everything done as cheaply as possible, we will never see facades resused.
And for the record, I don’t think there is a bigger enemy to heritage than Chuck Mady.
I don’t think the school closure was the catalyst for the demise of the neighbourhood (as it was originally intended) however the demise of PofW was the final straw. It was done in a particularly nasty and underhanded way too, with the Board of Education leading parents to believe that there might be a way to save the school. The remaining families were bitterly dissappointed and disillusioned and left in droves – manywent to South Windsor. We stayed as moving wasn’t an option and our children grew up in a neighbourhood where, for many years they were the only children. That being said – I still love this litlle area and it is a fact that neighbourhoods change, they evolve and meet different needs – BUT, there is no need to destroy our built heritage and this is, yet again, a glaring example. I will miss it.
Its interesting to notice the positioning of these schools, and other buildings of the day, how they sit at the end of a street. The front pair doors lining up almost exactly with the center of the abutting street. This makes for great sitelines and placemaking and accomodates mixed use opportunities, the building blocks of real neighboords.
The university should be taken to task for this. Another beautiful building in Windsor is gone. The west end dies a slow death while Sandra Pupatello happily sits in cabinet waiting for her chance to run as party leader.
This is sad news. This should have definitely been incorporated into plans for the new Engineering complex. There is a complete lack of creative planning and respect for heritage going on here.
This is sad news. This should have definitely been incorporated into plans for the new Engineering complex. There is a complete lack of creative planning and respect for heritage going on here.
Yeah Andrew is right – there is no way Assumption would be sold for a buck. The diocese does have a gold mine there though.
When they close Assumption, the Diocese will fence off the Church keep the parking lot and either keep the revenue from that to them selves, or lease the lots to the University for a good chunk of change. I would not be surprised if they pave over the front lawn as well for Parking.
As for Prince of whales…The closure of that school was the last straw for so many families, and shortly after that they all moved on. The way the city has let the streets around the University to go to hell is sickening. That area USED to be one of the nicer areas of the city.
In fairness to the city, it’s not really their fault that the area surrounding the University has “gone to hell”. Blame the absentee slumlords, er, landlords who rent out the homes to students. It’s basically a giant student ghetto now.
I grew up on Askin and remember when the whole neighbourhood was filled with families, children, and old people – in other words, a real neighbourhood. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the old folks died, the families moved out, and the slumlords bought up most of the homes. I don’t know how many of you have seen what student housing looks like, but a formerly nice home can turn from beautiful to shit in about one semester.
The sad thing is that unlike some “student ghettos” in other cities, Windsor’s isn’t a cultural hub filled with hip cafes, shops, and the like. It’s just a ghetto filled with out of town kids who scraped into “Last Chance U” and don’t give a shit about this city.
I didn’t say the Diocese would give the church with all the land to the university. I’m thinking more along the lines of them severing the church and the land under it from the rest of Diocese’s surrounding land, i.e., parking lots, and probably leasing the rest to the University. Seeing how much churches go for, like the one on Dominion, in much better shape and demolishable that went for half a mil, I don’t expect a lot more for one that’s gonna have to sit there for another decade without maintenance to be demolished like the Prince of Wales.
Also, I doubt the land around Assumption is worth a whole lot anyway if the Diocese were to accept an offer based on market value. Definitely not in the millions. Just take a look at all the $50K houses you can get west of the University within wakling distance to the University. There’s absolutely no basis for a multi-million dollar price tag for those lands unless it’s directly under Matty Mouron’s planned second bridge.
WFW wrote: The sad thing is that unlike some “student ghettos†in other cities, Windsor’s isn’t a cultural hub filled with hip cafes, shops, and the like. It’s just a ghetto filled with out of town kids who scraped into “Last Chance U†and don’t give a shit about this city.
You hit the nail on the head with this. I’ve always hoped that the U of W area of Wyandotte and University would evolve but it just hasn’t. The University needs to improve it’s status and then it will become a place where students desire to come. Until then, sadly not much is likely to change in that area. Frankly, proper zoning can prohibit the conversion of single family residences. Then zone in more apartment buildings and student residences. That way the neighbourhoods are protected. City Council has to have a vision and a brain to achieve that though.