The Chair of the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association is glad to see the scaffolding around the Paul Martin Building removed.
Larry Horwitz says when he first visited the site after it was gone, he looked up and saw the "gorgeous" building he use to remember. He says the removal will be a boost for the entire core especially neighbouring businesses as well as pedestrians.
Horwitz says he remembers when former Mayor Eddie Francis and others in the community pushed hard for improvements to the outside of the building.
"It was so important for downtown and the city both creating another historically [significant] building, a gorgeous building, that will be the centre piece of the downtown core," says Horwitz. "The building is back to a beautiful attractive look so this is really important, this is a milestone that I think we fought hard for, the community's fought hard for and we believe it will be the beginning of something really important for the community, for the city and for the region."
Back in 2014, safety concerns were raised by Revenue Canada workers about exterior pieces of the building falling down. There were concerns the facade was crumbling and scaffolding was installed around the building.
Scarborough's Colonial Building Restoration began the work in April 2016 to fix the facade. The contract was worth $3-million dollars.
The federal government sold the building to the city of one dollar and it is hoped the University of Windsor will use the building as a law school.