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Vacant land in Windsor’s troubled core could be home to a 16-storey condo building designed to “harmonize” with area heritage properties if city council gives the go-ahead.
Windsor’s development committee this week unanimously approved plans for an 88-unit build at the southeast corner of Caron Avenue and Chatham Street West. That’s across the street from the city-owned Caron Avenue parking lot where city council has decided to pursue residential development.
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Committee chair and Ward 10 Coun. Jim Morrison told the Star the proposal is the kind of residential development council is “really excited about,” with design elements that suit the neighbourhood.
“It’s great to see new developments coming into the downtown core. We need residents living in the area,” Morrison said after Monday’s meeting. “That’s going to be our most effective answer to improving the overall situation there.”
Last month, city council unanimously approved the “Strengthen the Core plan” to revitalize Windsor’s downtown. The multi-part strategy identified a desire for more housing options and population density downtown, which suffers from low foot traffic, vacant storefronts, and a perception that it’s a dangerous neighbourhood.
As part of a separate plan — Housing Solutions Made for Windsor — council voted to pursue residential development on several city-owned properties, including the large parking lot at Caron Avenue and University Avenue West across the street from the property being eyed for a condo development.
The property where an Ontario numbered company plans to build a condo building currently has a mixed-use land designation — meaning it’s zoned for developments with residential and commercial components — and has a maximum building height of six storeys under Windsor’s official plan. The development committee recommends amendments to a zoning bylaw and the city’s official plan to allow for the proposed 16-storey, solely residential build.
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David French of Storey Samways Planning Ltd. appeared before the committee on behalf of the developer. Outside council chambers, he told reporters the project has been complex because of heritage considerations in what’s known as the Old Town neighbourhood. The lot is in the same block as five properties listed on the city’s heritage register.
“A lot of thought and consideration has gone into the design of the building, regarding the podium height and the type of facade to keep it in a consistent design with what’s there and the age of the buildings up there,” French said.
“You’ll see four storeys of brick, and then the upper floors will be stepped back. From a pedestrian perspective, you’re not going to look up and see a wall of glass.”
The building will be composed of mostly one- and two-bedroom condo units, French said. It will have an amenity space on the ground floor and 70 parking spaces on the second, third, and fourth storeys.
“We’re proposing solely residential where normally mixed-use buildings would be located, and there were a number of vacant storefronts within that specific area. I see this as a very good project to bring people downtown.”
The development committee’s recommendation in favour of zoning and official plan amendments for the property is still subject to city council approval.
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