Sad to say, that tonight I passed the intersection of Ouellette & Erie, and noticed a pile of rubble where this beauty once stood. The photo above was taken back in 2002, and the building was in much better shape.
The photo above shows the house as it looked last week (on the 27th *edit* the 21st – two weeks ago).
For some reason another one bites the dust, and more of out past is lost as the core continues to hollow out.
I’ll scoot by later this morning and update the post with a current shot.
While the building was certainly looking a little worse for wear there is no need for it to come down.
969-975 Ouellette Ave. Lost for good.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Here’s the scene from the last hour (10:00 am Thursday)….
That’s just sad. It’s just killing the little old home boutique store potential of that street. And, I was reading in the paper the other day that the navy reserve will probably be moving out of their building to the tip of Mill street around the old cove marina, so that building will probably be coming down too. And, for what? Parking? Who even needs all this parking along Ouellette? The Masonic Temple already has a parking lot on Goyeau. The hospital? But, I thought they had enough parking on Goyeau? Perhaps someone doing a title search on who owns the property might shed a little light on what’s planned for this parcel.
That *is* just sad. I saw the demoed building earlier tonight as I drove by and immediately wondered what’s replacing it. I *assume* someone has a good reason for tearing down a nice old structure like that. Maybe Mac’s is supersizing with a stucco annex.
I spent a lot of years working in the Hunter, it was condemned at one point, but someone said it had heritage status, so it was fixed up. I don’t know if it had the status or not, there’s no marker. In either case the building is safe for a number of years the was the government goes about things – the Navy was to move about 10 years ago and still no movement on their new digs.
Another Stucco sighting – the old Rocco’s food market behind the TD bank on Ottawa and Moy (Hall?, can’t remember which), is getting a new shirt.
What a cryin’ shame. To think that huge luxury homes like this once lined Ouellette.
You know what’s the really sad thing. About a month a half ago, 969 was listing for $169K with the other side for sale and was mint inside. Completely renovated inside like one of those NY/Toronto style lofts with natural woodwork trim and shiny hardwood floors, updated classy lighting, resurfaced kitchen cabinets, glass block walls, interior brick facades, the whole nine yards. It had a full basement. It was in move-in condition for any kind of high class office. It wasn’t some run down slumlord building; the inside was mint.
The owners did a lot of work on that building.
Of note, the unit on the north side was where the Treble’s & Large sisters lived for just a few years. They were the original owners of the Treble-Large house on Victoria Ave (the Queen Anne with two turrets).
I agree with David. These could have been great boutique style offices or retail stores…IF and I mean IF we had retail downtown. I guess more parking or awesome stucco will be the remains.
Once again I will ask if the city demanded that salvage take hold BEFORE demo? I am sure Andrew knows the answer ; )
With the above going, gone, there is only house left between Mac’s and Anderson’s Funeral Home. The lot beside Anderson’s has been vacant for almost twenty years!! Windsor is starting to look like a hockey player with some teeth!
169K?! Would be 1.3 million at least in TO’s Annex or similar hood.
Shawn, if things keep up in Windsor the way they’re going, even at 169k it would have been a terrible investment.
The empty lot two doors north was demo’d in the early 90s — I remember parking there for fireworks soon after. All that space. Nothing happened in the boom times, so now much more unlikely.
I think as history progresses Michael Hurst is going to look like Nero — oversaw Windsor during the last boom, and let the boom happen wherever it wanted to, but didn’t focus on the bones that held windsor together (the intact downtown, the stock of fine buildings). Letting the Norwich go, and so many other chunks of Windsor’s urbanism, is going to be his legacy. Nobody will remember the boom, because the boom is gone.
someone at work mentioned they walked past it today and it had come down. Someone else mentioned that it had a spiral staircase inside and was quite beautiful. Such a shame. What was the reason for tearing it down and what is going in it’s place?
That’s such a shame! I always admired the black iron spiral staircase inside whenever I walked by. I thought it’d be such a cool place to live, now it’s dead.
pc – The reason for tearing it down, is probably the same as always.
1. Because there is no respect in Windsor for the built environment.
2. Because city administration is powerless to enforce or create any guidelines to protect our built environment.
3. Because a vacant lot is cheaper tax wise than a building, vacant or occupied.
Also, what’s going in it’s place? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess a dirt lot.
I hate to say it, but with every demolition that takes place, Windsor becomes blander and blander, and a less appealing city to live out the rest of my days.
I moved from Wdsr in ’70s, but lived at Mary Apts. on Erie St. (in ’50s) and later 1190 Hall Ave. (in ’60s). Very, very, brick in those days. I’m sure they wouldn’t be candidates for stucco-izing… or would they?
Ken, in Windsor anything for stucco-zing is game. In this city dollar reigns king along with the stupidity of it all!
Shawn is correct about Hurst but this mayor as well hasn’t done squat to stop it either. I want to know where are the councillors? I mean if we can have an interim control bylaw that encompasses all of Sandwich why can’t we have guidelines in other parts of the city that negates demolition?
Wasn’t Brister on the Heritage committee or did he wear out his welcome? Maybe he should take the advice he gave another blogger “join a charity”.
What a city, no teeth unless it benefits someone in the know.
I always loved this house. It made me imagine the grandeur that must have once lined our main street. I wish that I could have had the opportunity to see inside.
We seem to be tearing these old gems down at a frightening pace (or masking them with “improvements”). Almost as if we want to disconnect ourselves completely from the past and the wealth that this once great city held. I’m sure that I’m not clearly expressing this thought. But it seems that destroying these buildings removes the reminder that we are not what we once were and perhaps we no longer feel worthy of. Collectively, we will feel more comfortable with a four walled, steel post box, with a bright stucco exterior.
This is Windsor. This is progress.
there seem to be some bad feelings about the loss of this grand house and i also have similar feelings .but look at the down side of this all
No shortage of roaches ,rats ,transients .this is not a luxury neighborhood to live in anymore.
Councilor Brister is no longer a member of the WHC. The current council reps. are Councilors Hatfield & Valentinis.
Pardon my cynicism but I grew up in the core and have seen just about every significant structure and institution of my past obliterated. All those places of cherished memory are gone – my grade school, high school, houses I lived in, places I hung out, places I worked, buildings that I admired for their aesthetic or historical value – all gone now, and I’m not that old (at least, i don’t think so). I follow this blog closely from afar and admire the efforts of those still resident in me old home town to try to keep the place viable and even improve it, but, for me, its a different place, increasingly unrecognizable. The demolition of the the area immediately to the west of the old Windsor Market to build the Steinbergs department store (early ’60s) replaced an aging but dense,vibrant and diverse collection of structures and activities with a sanitized and sterile version of your typical suburban one stop shop downtown (it didn’t survive long – anybody remember it?). The demolition of St Mary’s Academy back in the ’70s really set the tone and convinced me that Windsor really didn’t give a shit about any kind of historical continuity. The devastation of the old Carling Brewery and the entire section east of Bruce Ave and north of University brought me to tears. The loss of Windsor Market and the Norwich Block were acts of unforgivable vandalism that turned me into a zombie (temporarily). I was in Windsor back in April and had a few beers at the Dominion House….unseasonably warm weather…sat outside and smelled the river….heard a ship whistle……some things never change.
We need new leadership at City Hall and this demolition is yet MORE evidence that the idiots at city hall don’t give a damn about the people who live here. Let’s start by firing all the department heads, starting with Don Sadler, and putting competent people in charge.
sad to see because this is my neighbourhood. the value of the area has been demoted considerably by the “take it down” mentality. Victoria Avenue is the only vital street in the core and it is slowly being abandoned due to downsizing or an escape away from the derelict downtown. it’s dirty, feral cat infested with the addition of lots of rats, mice, possum, skunks and other fuzzy creatures that we blame on the strike. If the city had any pride, it would invoke a program to clean up the pestilience in the core.
Wow, what a shock to see this building demolished. Some friends of mine lived in the unit on the south side about 10 years ago and it was a really nice place. I noticed that it was being worked on lately and thought it was being renovated….guess not.
You know, this site can be so depressing sometimes. After recently moving back to Windsor after several years away, I’ve been trying to keep a positive outlook about the city and hoping against hope that some sort of paradigm shift will take place and turn this city into a desirable place to live. Just when I’ve managed to convince myself that this isn’t such a bad town, I check this site and am reminded of the realities of life in “wonderful Windsor”.
Has Hurst ever been publicly interviewed about his legacy? From a real urbanist perspective, that is.
I knew the previous owners of this house and yes it was apparent that the new owners were rennovating and restoring. What a waste and a shame.
Nisbett Inn next?
All this parking and no where to go…
but it’s a really nice parking lot. and it doesn’t have stucco.
huh…..and we all thought this would remain a dirt lot. Someone built on it! It’s a beautiful new black expanse with yellow lines and curbs and drains…….ah! I thought it was torn down for nothing!