A former elementary school in West Windsor is up for sale.
The former J.E. Benson Public School on Wyandotte Street West between McEwan Ave. and Curry Ave. was put on the market about a week ago.
According to the listing, the property is listed for $4 million.
Ward 2 city councillor Frazier Fathers brought up the former school during question period at Monday's city council meeting.
Fathers says his question received support from council after he asked city staff to bring back a report dealing with "what it may look like if the city wants to purchase the school and include the property in the Housing Solutions Made for Windsor."
He says the school has been in a state of disrepair and has some challenges.
"This doesn't mean we're going to buy the school, but it really just directs administration to sort of start doing some due diligence and take a look at if we were to and what we might be willing to put towards that building there, as this is a strategic property here in West Windsor," he says.
Fathers says if you drive by the former school now, you'll see that it's been boarded up.
He says that's due to a number of building and bylaw infractions.
"The property owner has ongoing work orders that they are working through, and so it's unclear if those actions have led to this listing, but in theory we should be seeing either a restoration in the coming months and the securing of the building through those work orders or we'll see potentially a divestment of the property by the existing property owner," he says.
Fathers says, from his understanding, the building is listed as a heritage building, but it's not fully designated as a heritage site.
"I would say that the building has taken a beating over the last few years," says Fathers. "Again, I don't know what the full interior state is, and obviously when schools are closed, they often close for a reason, and that there's accessibility challenges, heating challenges, all sorts of things like that."
He says he's heard from residents living in the area of the former school.
Fathers says residents and the city often find dumping in the alley behind the school.
"Before the windows were boarded up, there were windows being broken in; the school was being broken into on a regular basis," says Fathers. "So it was a nexus for 311 calls and things like that and talking to neighbours and residents in the neighbourhood; they want to see some positive solution to this
Based on the listing, the property is currently zoned institutional and is located less than one kilometre from the University of Windsor.
The listing also says, "The site presents potential for redevelopment or repositioning, including consideration for higher-density residential or student housing uses, subject to obtaining all necessary approvals."
The Greater Essex County District School Board closed the school in June 2014 and put it on the market in the summer of 2017.
Fathers said the building was sold to a private developer and said there were plans at one point to open it as a private school.
He says those plans got derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.