The city's Strengthen the Core(STC)--Downtown Windsor Revitalization plan has been given its own dedicated web page on the Let's Talk Windsor platform.
The web page provides an overview of all the milestones reached since the $3.2 million program was announced by mayor Drew Dilkens back in the spring.
The plan included seven action items that focused on creating safe streets, enforcing property standards, seeking improved wrap-around programs for vulnerable community members, incentives to bring more businesses downtown, and an improved promotion of the core.
City council was presented with the first STC progress report on Monday, that included updates across all seven action items.
Speaking on AM800's Mornings with Mike and Meg, mayor Drew Dilkens says the community is seeing progress.
"We're seeing a dozen new police officers, we've hired 40 new auxiliary officers who will patrol parks throughout the city. They're all trained and ready to go. I think there's been 5,000 new 311 calls that people have made saying 'Hey I want to report this, I think this will make it better, this issue has been ignored, so lets look at it'. We have a dedicated bylaw officer now dealing with those complaints."
He says the results show that what council is doing is working.
"We're seeing great improvements downtown, the plan is working, and we'll continue to tweak it and fine tune it and make sure that it's affective moving forward as well."
On Monday, council approved a plan to temporarily increase the number of emergency shelter spaces in Windsor-Essex for those experiencing homelessness.
Dilkens says an additional 73 spaces will be available at the Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4) between the newly expanded hours of 12 a.m. to 8 a.m.
"As long as I'm around here, I'm going to continue to say, no one needs to sleep in a tent or in an encampment or on the street's in the City of Windsor. We have shelter space available for everybody and anyone who is looking for such a space."
An overview of STC program highlights and milestones so far are below provided by the city:
- 1. Safe Streetsa. 12 additional sworn officers dedicated to the Windsor Police Service City Centre Patrolb. 40 additional sworn auxiliary police within parks and trails in the core, and beyondc. Over 5,000 resolved 311 service calls in the cored. Extended hours for the Nurse Police Team and Crisis Response Team, averaging 69 calls per month
- 2. High Standardsa. 1 new by-law officer dedicated to the downtown coreb. 13 orders issued to building owners for non-compliance with building standardsc. 300 by-law officer hours patrolled since May 2024d. 10 benches relocated in the coree. 10 new and upgraded garbage receptacles available in the core
- 3. Healthy Spacesa. Over 45 extended hours per month at the Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4)b. Over 14,000 hot meals served at the H4c. Increased physician hours at H4, and expanded services to support the community
- 4. Place-Makinga. Over $4 million allocated through incentive programs to downtown businessesb. 421 new residential units approved for downtown Windsor
- 5. Vibrant Districta. Over 1,000 new beautification effortsb. Over 90 approved events driving $7.9 million in consumer spending in the third quarterc. Approximately 46,000 attendees at events hosted by the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA), including events co-hosted with the City of Windsor
- 6. Our Downtowna. Collaborating with key community partners, including the DWBIA, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF), Art Windsor-Essex, University of Windsor, St. Clair College and others on creating, marketing, and delivering exciting events and initiatives in the core
- 7. Stronger Togethera. 25 external partners actively engaged in the work of the STC planb. Creation of 4 roundtables to strengthen collaboration between community stakeholders