From The Windsor Star – August 12, 1982:
CAROL DE JONG, 10, and Troy Mills pedal in front of the Argon Apartments on Dougall Avenue
Court orders apartment torn down
- A Windsor landlord was fined $300 for violating an Ontario Fire Marshal’s order to demolish the Argon Apartments at 435 Dougall Rd.
Antonio Talerico was given the order last February after his building was nearly destroyed because of arson in January.
City fire inspector Bill Tape said he believes the February demolition order was the first ever used by the fire department in Windsor. The order gave the owner 90 days to tear down the 20-unit building and Talerico, of 390 Cameron Ave., failed to meet his deadline, Tape said. Talerico was unavailable for comment.
The landlord was charged with failing to comply with the fire marshal’s order.
He now has another 30 days to rip down the building.
The building was the target of arsonists last winter when it was hit by three fires with the last, in January, being the worst.
That fire burned out the top two floors of the building and seriously damaged the bottom two floors.
It left the brick work seriously weakened and caused concern among neighbors (sic) in the area, including Tony Carnelos, the principal of nearby St. Alphonsus school, who wrote the fire department complaining of the unsafe building.
Tape said the building is so weak a strong wind could send brick and mortar tumbling to the sidewalk. There are a number of children in the area and Tape said the building is a hazard.
It has also become a temporary home for transients. The building was boarded up, but transients have worked their way in, Tape said.
That has lead to another small fire breaking out.
Tape said his department and the city building department were working together on what to o about the building and decided, because of the fire damage, to proceed under the Fire Marshal’s Act.
I believe this is where the building was located.
Once upon a time, Windsor was known as the “City of Roses”. Now, it seems to have become the “City of Parking Lots”.
@windsorite-in-exile Windsor’s still in line behind Hamilton for that title.
If the present regime at City hall keeps going like it has been Windsor will end up looking like it did long ago with all the empty space anyone wanna the grace site sits idle for the next 10years??
I think you have to blame the arsonists for this one, not the city.
Yes arsonists are to blame. However what does the city do to encourage density? Haven’t they allowed more buildings to be demo’ed with gravel lots left behind since this one?
How about any lot in the city (especially parking lots) need to be landscaped? Larry needs to get off his duff and landscape some of his in downtown as do many other lot owners. Come on Windor grow a pair and get these disgusting parking lots cleaned up!!
ironic that the argon apartments are gone..
Tony Carnelos – great principal. was the principal at St. Francis for most of the time I was there.. Tristan & Chet – would you not agree?
I remember this building i use too party at one time in that building. so was surprized when this building went up in flames.
Want to refill downtown, install parking meters at the local malls, it’s all about accessibility isn’t it ?