1963

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• I might be wrong, but I think downtown Windsor is poised to make a comeback in the near future. The young and risk-oblivious entrepreneurs are out there and they are already snapping up prime downtown real estate. Channel 9 reported that the old Medical building on the corner of Ouellette and Erie has been sold to a developer and is being converted to loft apartments. The old Canada Trust building on University has already been converted to loft apartments and a brand new apartment complex is going up on Ottawa. A few more projects like this could provide the impetus for a renewal in the core. I've heard of other economically-depressed cities making a comeback, why can't Windsor?

• Me

  What do you propose to do about the crackheads and beggars? Move them where? Jail? Good plan that would cost upwards of $80,000 per year per inmate - only to have them repeat the offence.

  How about dealing with the underlying problem? In one breath you complain about high taxes, but in the other you complain about crappy office buildings, Shanfields and beggars.

• What to do with the beggars in downtown? Easy. Induct them into the army. Have a drill seargant yell at them for half the day. That'll wisen them up, discipline them, and give them a purpose.

• ME, Andrew - thanks guys, i figured as much. tacking it onto a strip mall???? what a waste. i'd rather never see it again then have it show up at windsor crossings.
  David - i agree with you on the army part.....i don't know if forcing them into the service is a good thing, but i'll bet if the offer is there most will bite. alot of these people arn't in that spot because they're lazy, we all should know that. many are very skilled people who would love to have food, shelter and some sense of order back in their lives.

• There was an interesting documentary on army recruiting in Michigan. They send out sets of army recruiting officers to malls, downtowns, etc., and whenever they see beggars, gangs, or someone loitering around those places they send the recruiting officers to talk to them for half an hour and try convince them to enlist. So, the beggars can either leave or be lectured for half an hour for recruitment every time the recruiters see them. So, the beggars get harassed instead of people walking by them. I'd rather see my tax dollars being spent on something like that than that $80,000 per year per inmate or whatever other social service program is out there. And, I'll also know that we'll actually have a standing army when we need it. I mean, an army of 26,000 full-time troops to cover a country larger in km2 than the US? Come on, it's a program that needs to happen here. Just setting up a booth in Dieppe Park once a year is not enough. We can even station those recruiting officers in the downtown armouries so that building doesn't just rot away vacant.

• Micheal,
  It doesn't cost $80,000 to jail someone is a lower secrity jail. Besides, Windsor does not pay for as it is a federal and provincial jurisdiction. It is a lot easier to pay when every puts in a few tax dollars rather than just a few.
  For the beggars many of them have mental issues and should in hospital instead of roaming around cities being harmful to others or to themselves.
  as for the crack addicts...throw them in jail along with the multitude of crack whores who peddle themselves on Wyandotte and University. Because you can't force a person to get treatment if they don't want it.
  I am not sure what crappy buildings and high taxes have to do with this issue? As I stated the crappy buildings could be because there are little incentives for landowners and the high business tax makes it unaffordable to do anything with these buildings or it could come down to people like Jenny Coco who really dont' care and are just land speculating to grab even more property.
  So tell me what is the "underlying" problem?

• Wow, the Shanfields sign is the very same one. Why does the Shanfields-Meyers building look like such crap? Has it ever been nice? It's really an issue now, because the shop is finally closing, and what will happen to it after?

• Nothing, Uzzy. That place has been "going out of buisness" for 20 years. lol

• Kind of like "Gray's" on Ottawa Street.

• I know, but didn't the old man die and the daughter is just trying to liquidate? I was in there a couple of months ago and it was still packed full of stuff with half-hearted clearance tags on most of it. And I heard they still have several storage containers full of stuff.