The City of Windsor's Celestial Beacon project is on hold.
That's according to Paul Mullins. He's the lawyer for Assumption Church who filed an appeal with the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) along with Mike Cardinal.
Cardinal contested the streetcar enclosure exceeded the allowed variance under current zoning laws, but it was Mullins' stance that gave the city reason to pause.
Mullins says city lawyers notified him that they will not be appearing at the next hearing after learning of the $7-million project would be built on culturally significant land.
According to Mullins, the beacon is destined for at Assumption Park, which was donated to the church by ancestors of the Hurons First Nation.
"As it turns out, those lands were right on the river front where the Celestial Beacon was being planned," he says.
Mullins says the project isn't dead — it's on hold.
"The city's going to revisit their official plan and their zoning bylaw for all of the riverfront area in order to clarify exactly what the appropriate developments are and add the appropriate criteria to be applied," he added.
He says it was never the church's intention to halt the project — but to ensure indigenous people are recognized and have a role in the plans.
"It gives me a lot of encouragement that they will recognize the importance of Assumption Park and what the role has been in the history of the city and this whole region," he says.
Mullins says he will be applying for the land to be recognized as a National Historic Site.
Mayor Drew Dilkens tells CTV Windsor the city is open to working with and recognizing indigenous groups.
He confirmed the project is on hold and the city will be looking at amending its zoning bylaw for the entire waterfront.