A new home for the YMCA in downtown Windsor.
The YMCA of Southwestern Ontario along with the University of Windsor have announced an agreement which will relocate the YMCA from its Victoria Avenue location to 300 Ouellette Avenue.
The YMCA will lease roughly 23,000 square feet from the university for its learning and career centre.
The centre will include classrooms and will provide language training and settlement work for newcomers to Canada as well as employment programs.
Andrew Lockie, CEO of YMCA Southwestern Ontario says it's a 10-year lease agreement with two five year renewal options.
He says the YMCA is excited to work with the university.
"We think there are ways to integrate the services and educational programs that exist here in with our programs and so it's to us and to University of Windsor as I'm understanding it and have been told is, it's far more than a just a landlord-tenant kind of arrangement," he says. "We really do want to find ways to compliment one another."
Lockie says the new location is expected to open in September.
"We will be moving in and starting in September of 2025, so we have to get to work," says Lockie. "We have to get going and be ready for the start of the new cycle of learning next year."
He says the YMCA wanted to stay downtown and be apart of the revitalization plan.
"Right now you could see it's not being used and I think one of the best things for a downtown to have is people and coming and enjoying it and being around a centre point for community where people and a really important group of people are going to come together here," he says. "So I think it's going to look better and they'll be more people and both of those things are really great for the downtown."
Lockie says YMCA has an 'agreement for purchase' in place for the site on Victoria Avenue.
He says the new owner has asked to remain anonymous but says arrangements have been made to stay at the Victoria Avenue site until construction is completed at the new location on Ouellette Avenue.
Lockie says the YMCA has been located on Victoria Avenue for four decades.
The YMCA is leasing the ground floor of the building along with some space on the main floor.
The building is located at the corner of Ouellette and University Avenue and was the previous home of the Windsor Star, WFCU Credit Union and the Honest Lawyer.