The City of Windsor is taking the next step toward determining the true cost associated with The Village at The Barn proposal, a supportive housing village for people experiencing homelessness, mental health, or addition issues.
City council has approved endorsing the proposal and $2.5-million in funding previously approved in principle in the 2026 Capital Budget which will allow administration to complete further investigative work on the former Windsor Arena site.
Administration says a detailed site conditions investigation at the former arena is required before the project can move forward, a process that’s expected to take several months.
The approval does not commit the city to building the project, but it allows city staff to develop more accurate construction and operating cost estimates, complete the site investigation, begin preliminary design work and start discussion with the provincial and federal governments about potential funding.
Administration estimates the project could cost more than $60-million, though a more refined estimate is expected in a report to council in spring 2027.
Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens says this step is necessary.
“We will not be able to do this unless we get provincial and federal support. What both levels of government require though is a plan, so council said we approve this high-level plan, administration prepare the proposal that now goes to seek support from the provincial and federal governments so we can deliver The Village at The Barn.”
He says the city knows very little about the over 100-year-old building.
“We know that there’s some asbestos in the building, we know that there’s some lead paint, and so there are some things that we know will have to be dealt with one way or the other, whether the building gets town down one day or whether we do a full renovation of The Barn,” Dilkens says. “So we need to do that work to get the full and complete picture of the substances that we have to deal with, but we’re going to have to do this to move forward one way or another, and today we start the process.”
Dilkens says this can’t be delayed to the next term of council because the problem is happening every day.
“We know that this won’t be inexpensive, but this is the trade-off of saying do you let the kinds of things happening on your street that are disruptive to businesses, that make residents feel somewhat concerned about going downtown... do you let that continue? How long do you let it continue? Or do you want to find a solution? And I always err on action and try to find a solution - this is the solution.”
Council rejected a motion directing administration to also examine the cost of demolishing the arena and rebuilding on the site. However, friendly amendments were approved that require the site investigation to include an examination beneath the arena floor, as well as an estimate of the cost to demolish the existing building.
The proposed site would operate alongside the existing Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4) at the former Water World site, and both facilities would coincide to create a 24-hour campus offering shelter and supports.
Administration stated that The Barn would be considered supportive housing, not transitional housing.
The former Windsor Arena permanently closed in 2012.
