On a rainy Sunday morning, where better to be than sightseeing with my friend Lowell Boileau.
One of our first stops was to see the massive behemoth known officially as the Windsor Casting Plant, but known to most simply as the foundry.
Scheduled to be closed as part of “the way forward”, it will suck for the local economy to lose the jobs, but I won’t miss the stink.
i’m sitting here at my desk trying to enjoy the day but ford’s filthy stink is coming in my windows. can’t wait till the place closes. i feel bad for the workers but will be glad when the air cleans up around here. no more sandy soot on my windows and furniture inside, and no more stink.
Will this affect the Kahn building, “The Powerhouse” (??I’m not sure of its real name) on Riverside?
Its such a gorgeous example of late 19th – early 20th c. industrial architecture. I can’t imagine it not being there.
Jane> The Powerhouse I believe is scheduled to stay. i took a tour of inside the building during doors open (http://mikebeauchamp.com/images/show.php?set=doors-open-06). The person giving the tour mentioned several times that the plan was to keep the power plant operational to sell power back to the grid during peak hours.
I have no opinion one way or another when it comes to this operation (I live wayyyy too far to worry about things like how it smells), but in a way I mourn its passing. There are unfortunately few preserved large scale industrial antiques that show people how things “used to be made”. I guess as an example, I would be a happy tourist if I could go through a steel plant with an open hearth blast furnace to see how we used to make the material, in the same way I used to ride Canadian National steam excursions in the ’60’s in order to experience the iron horse.
The powerhouse was supposed to have a deal with some power company who will remove the oil drums next to it and build a gas/steam powered turbine or something to generate electricity. i thought they would be starting construction by now. can’t remember where the press release is for it.
Darren – the drum is gone….. and the was a City Add posted detailing an open house info session re: the plant…it is called Pristine Power. And yes the power house will remain. It supplies mostly the Casting plant right now, but does supply landlord type support to the wntire Windsor facility