An iconic broadcasting facility could receive heritage designation before a major redevelopment moves ahead.
The city’s Development and Heritage Committee met Monday afternoon to consider issuing a notice of intention to designate the former CKLW building, now home to CBC, at 825 Riverside Drive West which was approved.
The site which was built in 1954 is currently listed on the Windsor Municipal Heritage Register as the CBC Radio-Canada TV/Radio building, but it has never been formally designated.
The City has received applications to amend planning policies and zoning to allow redevelopment of the site. The proposal calls for the eventual demolition of the existing structure and construction of townhouses and multiple high-rise buildings containing 1,602 residential units and 1,725 parking spaces.
The developer has indicated that heritage elements would be salvaged, if possible, and incorporated into the project.
The application triggered a 90-day review period which includes the heritage proponent. Without designation, the building can be demolished and would limit the city’s ability to protect key heritage features such as the glazed green brick and the L-shaped breezeway.
Committee member and ward 4 councillor, Mark McKenzie, says he’s unsure if this building should be designated.
“It was built in the 1950’s, and I know that there was the discussion about ‘well, CKLW was there’, and I’m like... okay, but CKLW has been in three different locations over the years. And so now they’re at 1640 Ouellette, so does that mean we’re now going to designate that building heritage as well?”
McKenzie says he’s concerned about bringing this forward now and related it to the heritage designation situation in Amherstburg, where Valente was ready to build on the former General Amherst High School site and is now in the designation process.
He says it’s a slippery slope when you start adding the heritage designation.
“They’ve had an open house on this development, and administration has been in support of it, and then all of a sudden we’re talking about designated the property heritage. It reminds me of what recently happened in Amherstburg where they designated a property there that was already up for redevelopment and so I don’t want to go down that same road.”
McKenzie says he doesn’t want this development to be impacted.
“I want to get a hold of the developer and see what he’s feeling here, but I also don’t want to stand in the way of a good development, right? We obviously need more housing and especially on a riverfront, it’s prime property, so I don’t want to delay any projects. And that’s my main thing here is that I want to make sure that we’re not delaying things for no good reason.”
The city only has until June 11 to signify if they’d like to start the notice of intent to designate, and if they don’t, they will lose the ability to designate it in the future.
The notice of intent will go to council at a later date.