Amherstburg Council has said no to options presented for the former Duffy's Tavern site.
Instead, it will be up to the next council elected in October to decide what will happen with the waterfront property.
Only two members of council, Mayor Aldo DiCarlo, and councillor Don McArthur, were in support of moving forward with an option presented in hopes of seeing the project be completed.
McArthur says residents have been asking for something to be done with the vacant property.
"The people of Amherstburg have been very, very vocal and very clear about this. Duffy's the way it is now, it's an eyesore and it's a lost opportunity. They want that fence down, they want access to a park that they paid for and that they haven't been able to access for more than four years."
McArthur says he was hoping for council to pass the report so that the space would be available for residents, and for upcoming events in the town.
"I wanted administration to start on this, because the sooner we get that fence down, all the better for residents of Amherstburg, they can enjoy the beautiful park, they'll expand fishing space for everybody in the town," he says. "It'll be an amazing complement to Open Air weekend, and it would really help with tourism with is really beginning to boom following the restrictions of the pandemic."
DiCarlo says he frequently hears from residents in the town that the fenced off area is an eyesore.
"But when you're downtown, like we were this past weekend for the car show, it is difficult to walk by the property and still see it all fenced off, and of course you do hear from the people when you're down there who are frustrated and would like to see it come down and at the very least allow some access."
The first option presented was for council to waive the Purchasing By-law to execute an agreement with AMICO for the preparation of full construction tender documents, ministry approvals, contract administration and all construction for phase one to stabilization of the shoreline along the old Duff’s property on Dalhousie street.
The second option was for council to direct administration to proceed with a standard request for proposal.
The riverfront proposal calls for an amphitheatre, gathering spaces, a fishing area and marina.