The City of Windsor is adding the former Windsor Arena to a list of properties identified as part of the Housing Solutions Made for Windsor strategy.
The former arena at 572 McDougall Street and the former Grace Hospital Site at 339 Crawford Avenue have been added to the list, joining four previously announced sites: the former Lowe Secondary School site, Caron Avenue Parking Lot, Pelissier Street Parking Lot, and Roseland Golf Club Parking Lot.
The housing strategy announced in March 2024 is focused on increasing the supply of housing and meeting aggressive housing targets by identifying and making shovel-ready various municipal lands with high potential for residential development.
The properties identified on the list possess significant and immediate potential for development.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told a news conference Friday that council approved putting the former Windsor Arena property forward under a housing umbrella, but there is the opportunity to be creative.
"Now, is it only housing? 'No.' We've seen some interesting conceptual designs in the past for Windsor Arena that call for perhaps an indoor market," he says. "So instead of having a downtown farmer's market that is time-limited based on weather, perhaps there's an opportunity for a developer to come forward and present something that that event could happen 12 months of the year."
The building at the corner of McDougall Avenue and Wyandotte Street East was built in 1927 but has been unused for a number of years after being permanently closed in 2012.
Dilkens points out that it is a heritage site.
"We would like to see when that expression of interest comes out some recognition. We're not saying you have to keep the building, but there should be some recognition of the heritage that was on that site," he says.
Dilkens says there's lots of possibilities there.
"We think that is a prime site for development, and so we've considered, city council has had a very healthy discussion about all of the sites, but including the Windsor Arena site, council has a strong recognition and appreciation that there's a lot of good things that could happen there and that the market conditions are probably ripe right about now," he says.
The city also announced Friday that the Expression of Interest process has been launched for the Caron Avenue Parking Lot.
The EOI invites developers and proponents to submit comprehensive proposals for sustainable, inclusive, and community-oriented housing development on the property.
Proposals will be accepted until Friday, August 23.