Windsor talk

[north 42]

WTF! Are these blowhards trying to decimate our city? Jesus, we are just finally clawing our way back to a healthier economy and these assholes could care less that their decisions will kill the auto industry in this province!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windso...ment-1.2495709

[north 42]

Well, it ends up that the December unemployment numbers were not just a blip, Windsor if finally below 7% and below the national average for the first time in years!

http://windsorite.ca/2014/02/windsor...ional-average/


http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tabl...fss03h-eng.htm

[north 42]

Finally a plan to enhance University Ave. and breath new life into the near west end!

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2014/06...r-reimagining/

[y2k_pony]

^ read about this today. Finally. That area has been needing a facelift for 30 years.

[Symz]

It's kind of too bad that the Greek community didn't buy into the plan that was hastily cooked up by Eddie for the former Grace Hospital site. The idea of a little Greek Town grabbing some roots immediately adjacent to the downtown had me kind of excited there, but I accept their decision.

The street is extremely wide, like beyond necessity, a little LRT line would be cool there, to link the university with the downtown, though I doubt it's practical. A trolley/shuttle is a compromise that we might be able to make work some day. It's a street with a lot of potential but needs a lot of work. Just the road itself is in TERRIBLE condition as you begin to near the university.

They could do something to dress it up as a gateway to the downtown, although I'd bet Wyandotte better serves that purpose currently since the bridge exits on Huron Church, but also Wyandotte.

[South248]

I see Windsor loses two more grocery stores.

Dougall Food Basics
http://windsorite.ca/2014/06/dougall...-set-to-close/

Tecumseh Mall Sobeys
http://windsorite.ca/2014/06/windsor...ys-is-closing/

Any speculation if this is the death blow to Tecumseh Mall?

[Symz]

That means Windsor will have lost, what, 3 grocery stores in the last 2-3 years? That's not a good sign at all.

[north 42]

Grocery store profit margins have been very low recently due to fierce competition, so I'm not surprised that these stores have closed. The Food Basics was old and dirty, and was not in a good location in that dead plaza!
I'm not worried about Tecumseh Mall, it's doing well, and I'm sure something will take it's place. There's a lot of growth still in east Windsor.

[South248]

Well the one bright side is that neither of these closures create any food deserts with nearby stores still running.

I can't see another grocery store moving into that mall, unless Sobeys decides to put a FreshCo in down the road. Would be much more competitive with Wal-Mart and Food Basics then what a Sobeys store was.

It's always amused me that in many parts of these city, supermarkets will congregate in one area instead of spreading themselves out and attracting more business. (Tec & Huron Church, Dougall & Eugenie, Lauzon & Tec, even Manning & Tec, and Malden & Delmar if we want to count those areas).

[north 42]

The DT Food Basics will be in even better shape with the Dougall store closing as they will get more shoppers going there, making it more profitable.

That whole empty plaza on Dougall would make a great location for our new regional hospital being planned, but I think I like the airport lands plan better!

[Blitz]

Sobeys couldn't compete with Zehrs nearby and the Food Basics and Price Chopper nearby offer better prices. That stretch of Dougall is a wasteland. I don't think these closures have anything to do with Windsor, I've seen several grocery stores in London close in the past few years too - it's just a cut-throat business.

[william.l]

The GM plant has been sold...

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2014/06...on-plant-sold/

[north 42]

^^
I'm very interested to find out what exactly they have planned for the area. I like that the section along Walker Rd. will be demolished and will be developed as commercial, making that stretch much more attractive and will help extend the business area of the Ottawa St. Area further south.

[north 42]

I'm curious to see how this progresses, I love the idea of a new civic square and esplanade, and like the idea of a new parkade, getting rid of some surface parking lots in the core. Hopefully they build this more than two levels, as it looks like other parties are interested in getting some spaces as well.

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2014/06...e-and-parkade/

[william.l]

Great idea: could develop into a nice campus!

[Symz]

Haha, a hilarious article about Windsor written up like Wikipedia.

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Windsor,_Ontario

[north 42]

^^^

Pretty funny indeed!

[Jacob]

The vacant field near Dougall and Cabana may become Windsor's next subdivision, and residents on Salina are protesting, and with good reason. The nearly 100 unit development would be nearly car-dependant and only have one access point for vehicles: Salina.
Another part of the development would expand the adjacent plaza to include a grocery store amongst the Shopper's drug mart, Q convenience, Tim Horton's and a slew of other small retailers.

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/ne...ood-with-video

(from The Windsor Star

[1overcosc]

That's a really bad layout... At least punch east-west links to Cabana & Dougall....

[Jacob]

i really doubt this will be approved by the city's planning department. There's no way all that traffic can all be funnelled onto Salina, which is a rather narrow street, which does not have sidewalks, or an all way stop on Howard. What this area does have going for it is nearby transit, banks, Tim Horton's, Lifestyle's fitness club, possibly a new grocery store and parks.