Windsor's mayor says the council will have to decide if the city is going to submit a bid to buy the former Windsor Stadium property.
The Greater Essex County District School Board is selling the 4.55-acre property at 2365 McDougall Street in Windsor, which includes a football field and stands.
In May 2025, the board, through the Ontario government, had listed the land for sale for the purpose of housing development.
The City of Windsor submitted an expression of interest for the property, but that was turned down by the province, and the land is now being listed on the 'open market.'
Mayor Drew Dilkens says city council could say 'no' or say 'yes,' this is a good site for some housing development or to be incorporated into Jackson Park.
"These are the discussions we will have in-camera. Clearly, we're not going to have the discussion about how much we would offer for the site in public session and then have someone come in and bid a dollar more," he says. "It's the type of thing you have a discussion in-camera, and we'll bring that to city council in very short order and get their direction."
The 'fair market value' for the land, which borders Jackson Park, is expected to be just under $3 million.
Dilkens says if the council decides to submit a bid, there is money available.
"We have money that we set aside for parkland acquisition, and so there would be money in that fund and other reserve funds that we could use to acquire this property if city council is interested in doing that," he says. "It wouldn't hit the 2026 budget and would likely not require any budget funding in future years either."
Dilkens says there is a great opportunity to incorporate the land into Jackson Park.
"It's really up to the city council to decide, recognizing that this site also has some challenges. We also have to deal with those stands that are in very, very poor condition and will require an investment if we keep them," he says. "There are some things to discuss at the city council table, and ultimately that will factor into any price that city council considers offering for this property."
In May 2025, the city halted discussions around the future of Jackson Park Bandshell, which abuts the Windsor Stadium property, as it explored options to buy the land from the school board.
Under new provincial rules, municipalities cannot automatically purchase closed schools. They must now either compete in the open market or purchase for a "provincial priority," such as affordable housing or long-term care facilities. The new rules also give the province more say in the sale process.
The public school board is also listing the former Kingsville District High School and the former Kingsville Public School for sale.
The Town of Kingsville submitted an expression of interest to the province for the properties but learned in November 2025 that the bids, which included a proposal to build attainable housing and create public use spaces, had not been accepted.