What's been a large vacant industrial lot for more than a decade is about to become residential properties.
Farhi Developments plans to invest around $250-million to rework the property.
When it's complete there will be 101 single family homes and seven condo buildings, four with 58 units and three with 70 units.
As the result of a land swap with the city, the current entrance off McHugh St. near Lauzon Rd. will be closed and the city gets a similar sized piece of land for parking.
There will be a large storm water retention pond near the south east corner of the property.
Schmuel Farhi says just to get the land ready will cost a significant amount.
"I feel comfortable to say to you that we will need to spend north of $12-million to do the pond, to service the lots to start cracking the foundation and have the infrastructure to put the first building."
Farhi says he's never done a residential project this large before.
"This is probably the largest undertaking by Farhi Holding Corporation, it's the largest residential development. We own a lot of assets, we own office buildings, shopping centres, apartment buildings. But that's the largest, the first largest design built that we do and we're proud our first development is in the City of Windsor."
Proposed layout of the Farhi Development next to the WFCU Centre, September 25, 2019 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
He says the city was smart when it invested in the WFCU Centre and its added amenities.
"And they built a community centre, they built the pool, they built two or three more rinks. This development will help a lot to make this development be even more successful than it is today."
Farhi expects construction of the foundation of the first condo building to start in November with the first of the single family homes will start construction next summer.
Also on Wednesday — while announcing details of the development on the former Lear plant site — developer Schmuel Farhi said he has another major project planned for Windsor.
It's a 24 to 30-story tower he would like to build at the corner of Riverside Dr. and Janette Ave.
Plans are still in the early stages, but the idea is for most of the tower to be residential.
Mayor Drew Dilkens confirms there are discussions underway to have the city lease a floor or two near ground level of the proposed building for a future Windsor Public Library Main Branch.