Built in 1962, the building is misidentified as being located on the corner of Tuscarora & Louis, it’s actually on the corner of Cataraqui & Louis.
Sometime later, the building was expanded, and the addition is much larger than the original section of the building. Also the original entrance was remodeled, with the wall removed.
Today the building is mostly vacant since they moved to the new palace on Riverside Drive. Occasionally there are maintenance truck on site, and the police Dog Units seem to use the building with some regularity.
Other than that, the future of the building remains undetermined. The City Social Services office is next door on Louis, and it has been vacant since 400 City Hall Square opened, and the city has been trying unsuccessfully to sell it off. Unlike the CAS building, no one comes by to keep up the city building.
Maybe a fresh coat of stucco would attract a buyer for the former Social Services Office.
Was listening to Sam Roberts “Detroit 67” while reading this blog and couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for a city that was once so good to so many families but treated itself like dirt and paid the price.The ought to put a monument in Dieppe Park that reads: Windsor, Ontario, birthplace of the Canadian Auto Industry, Canada’s Arsenal of Democracy in World War Two and one heck of a great place back in the day.
Interesting – wonder why the stone wall was removed, perhaps unstable? Also, on the side near the tagging, the brick is a different color. Did someone take a run at this building too, like the new palace?
I like the lettering style, it has weathered well, probably stainless steel. No doubt today they would use plastic lettering to save money.
Notable that the “Windsor-Essex” lettering is relatively new, and dates to the merger of the two former agencies…I’m thinking ’98 or ’99…as can be seen when comparing the ‘then’ and ‘now’. The Riverside location was the property of the former Catholic Children’s Aid Society–specifically the building went up on the site of the former “Bondy Centre”–while the original CCAS building–fronting Assumption Street–was demolished upon completion of the new facility–making way for parking.
Well, they should put a fresh coat of something on there because the graffitti on the side makes the area look very ghetto. The city needs to set by example and not persist in allowing their public buildings in downtown to look like this. And what’s with the sloppy plastic cladding on the side windows? Holy s. For all the taxes I pay, this is completely unacceptable. Good luck revitalizing downtown when the city’s acting like the #1 slumlord. Instead of useless and overpriced canals, the city should take a step back, review its own downtown infrastructure and make sure everything looks neat and clean. Who wants to invest in a ghetto looking downtown?