The City of Windsor no longer has a stake in One Riverside Drive. The property, formerly known as the Canderel Building, was built with financial input from the city and its sale has meant a $6-million payout for the city.
Mayor Drew Dilkens says just over $4-million of that will be used to upgrade the Pelissier and Goyeau Street parking garages. "We want to make them better than they are today in terms of the way they look and upgrade them and just put paint down and make sure the flooring is proper and that people feel safe and comfortable in those parking garages"
But the mayor is looking for public input first. "There's an opportunity to have a conversation to say 'what do you think we should do in terms of beautifying the garages on the exterior?' We do have some concept drawings that show public art on the outside of the garage but I was kind of underwhelmed with the pictures I saw and I really want to be able to engage with the community and say 'what do you think we should do'?"
Upgrades also include converting to LED lighting and the installation of more security cameras.
Dilkens says most of the balance of just under $2-million has already been committed to other projects, leaving about $150,000 for future budget overages.
(With files from Teresinha Medeiros)