Windsor talk

[north 42]

Originally Posted by FenderStrat

Anybody know what ever happened to that upscale restaurant/club that was supposed to be built in that vacant lot on Ouellette next to the Crazy Horse? I remembered hearing some big plans then haven't heard anything in quite some time.

I was wondering about that proposal as well recently. Hopefully it will still happen, but I'm not very optomistic at all. I just really hate that hole in the streewall and want it filled in with something nice.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by FenderStrat

Anybody know what ever happened to that upscale restaurant/club that was supposed to be built in that vacant lot on Ouellette next to the Crazy Horse? I remembered hearing some big plans then haven't heard anything in quite some time.

The plans probably disappeared to the same place as the 6 story residential that was being talked about on Bruce between Chatham & Pitt.

Windsor Star lets these stories loose and then we just never hear anything about them again.

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Symz

The plans probably disappeared to the same place as the 6 story residential that was being talked about on Bruce between Chatham & Pitt.

Windsor Star lets these stories loose and then we just never hear anything about them again.

Lol, its not the Windsor Star's fault, it's the people who put these proposals forward

[Symz]

Originally Posted by north 42

Lol, its not the Windsor Star's fault, it's the people who put these proposals forward

Why make a big front page story about such minuscule developments so early on. Why not blow up the front page when it's an actual deal instead of fueling speculation just to get people to buy papers.

[FenderStrat]

Originally Posted by Symz

Why make a big front page story about such minuscule developments so early on. Why not blow up the front page when it's an actual deal instead of fueling speculation just to get people to buy papers.

Because they need to put SOMETHING in the paper. You know as well that if The Windsor Star only contained articles about actual CONFIRMED major developments ... well they'd be lucky if they had enough to publish one paper every 6-8 months!

Those articles I guess give us hope. False hope, but hope nonetheless.

Another example is this GE Factory that the local media is saying Windsor/Essex County is bidding to try to get built here. Do any of you guys think there's a chance in hell that GE actually locates here? But I guess it's nice to dream and hope.

Sorry if I sound like too much of a pessimist in this post. Living in Windsor for ones whole life tends to do that hehe.

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Symz

Why make a big front page story about such minuscule developments so early on. Why not blow up the front page when it's an actual deal instead of fueling speculation just to get people to buy papers.

Someone hates the Windsor Star, lol.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by north 42

Someone hates the Windsor Star, lol.

No I don't hate the star, it's just they publish so prematurely that it leaves people like you and me asking questions like this, what ever happened to this project and that project?

CBC Windsor did the same thing. I remember months ago they ran a story saying that the Farhi lot located immediately west of the art gallery was under construction when all that happened was they brought in a load of dirt to do God knows what, took down the pay to park machine and them the lot sat like that for a month before the machine was out back up, the dirt taken away and the pay to park lot reopened. Nothing. Nothing went on with that lot, but the media goes and runs a story on what information exactly?

[DHLawrence]

Did anything happen with those "thousands" of finance jobs EF was trying to bring to Windsor a few years back, or was that another dead end?

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Symz

No I don't hate the star, it's just they publish so prematurely that it leaves people like you and me asking questions like this, what ever happened to this project and that project?

CBC Windsor did the same thing. I remember months ago they ran a story saying that the Farhi lot located immediately west of the art gallery was under construction when all that happened was they brought in a load of dirt to do God knows what, took down the pay to park machine and them the lot sat like that for a month before the machine was out back up, the dirt taken away and the pay to park lot reopened. Nothing. Nothing went on with that lot, but the media goes and runs a story on what information exactly?

It is frustrating to be left hanging, but I don't blame the media. It would be great to see something happen on that Farhi lot, but I'm not holding my breath.

[north 42]

Originally Posted by DHLawrence

Did anything happen with those "thousands" of finance jobs EF was trying to bring to Windsor a few years back, or was that another dead end?

I think I heard some time ago that the company didn't think it could recruit enough qualified employees to make it happen, so that was the end of that.

[north 42]

IKEA coming to Windsor, albeit a smaller, pick up store with about a tenth of the space of a regular sized store.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windso...ring-1.3270258

[Symz]

Originally Posted by north 42

IKEA coming to Windsor, albeit a smaller, pick up store with about a tenth of the space of a regular sized store.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windso...ring-1.3270258

I'm surprised you picked up on the neutered IKEA coming to Windsor, but not the article of the Toronto developer buying up a bunch of properties on Chatham street!

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Symz

I'm surprised you picked up on the neutered IKEA coming to Windsor, but not the article of the Toronto developer buying up a bunch of properties on Chatham street!

I'm so happy that someone sees potential in Chatham St and wants to invest in multiple properties, especially someone from out of town.
I hope he renovates these properties properly, I cringed when I read he was gonna use stucco on parts of the Loop building, and I'm not sure about setting a food court in the building, seems kind of odd, bur,,oh well.
I guess he's still buying properties, which is great. Time will tell what happens once everything is done.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by north 42

I'm so happy that someone sees potential in Chatham St and wants to invest in multiple properties, especially someone from out of town.
I hope he renovates these properties properly, I cringed when I read he was gonna use stucco on parts of the Loop building, and I'm not sure about setting a food court in the building, seems kind of odd, bur,,oh well.
I guess he's still buying properties, which is great. Time will tell what happens once everything is done.

Ya I hear ya on the stucco, but honestly the building needs a lot of restoration work it's been neglected for so long, beautiful building though. The idea of the food court, I actually think his idea is pretty cool. He mentioned a market and food court, where else downtown do you have something like that? The only place to buy food near downtown that is not a Shoppers Drug Mart or a Mini Mart is at the Food Basics and it's not in the core. With the student population increasing and the potential to have more students living in the downtown, I think to have amenities like a grocer will further enhance downtown's ability to attract and retain new people.


For some context for anyone else reading here's the origional article talking about the properties he has bought, and the second article talking about some of his ideas and intentions to possibly buy more property.


source:
http://windsorstar.com/news/local-ne...or-real-estate



source:
http://windsorstar.com/news/local-ne...chatham-street

The render is terribly ugly but you can tell it's a very impromptu hasty photoshop job just to kind of convey the colour scheme. (hehe you can even see the sloppyness if you notice the light post has been just painted over to match the context of the building )

Anyways I'm optimistic. Chatham street can be a cool little strip again, it has the spaces (which Windsor kind of lacks in terms on continuity on some of it's downtown streets).

Now if only the city would finish more of it's streetscaping initiative and bring a street like Chatham up to par because it's quite old and dilapidated looking with mismatched light poles (just like University) and uneven sidewalks.

[north 42]

I'm just so happy to see someone from out of town see potential in our city and core. Finally, investment DT that is from the private sector.
I hope he keeps buying properties that he sees potential in, maybe on University Ave., as it needs some attention and has potential as well.

I agree that the city needs to fix up some of the streets DT to make these properties more attractive to more possible investment, and plant more trees as well.

Looks like the DT campuses are actually creating interest and now investment DT. Hopefully this will eventually translate into some new residential construction as well down the road.

[ScreamingViking]

I think it would be nicest if they just stripped off the paint and cleaned up the brick. Colour could be added in subtle but complementary ways if desired (e.g., window frames, entry overhang, the lamps on the lower level pillars)

[north 42]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

I think it would be nicest if they just stripped off the paint and cleaned up the brick. Colour could be added in subtle but complementary ways if desired (e.g., window frames, entry overhang, the lamps on the lower level pillars)

That's what I was hoping for. It's one of the few heritage structures left DT, and I think it deserves to be renovated properly, not cheaply!

[Blitz]

It'll be a few years before we recognize the impacts of all those students downtown...and private investors will surely follow. Just look at what has happened to downtown Brantford over the last 15 years.

As for The Windsor Star, it was completely overhauled a couple of weeks ago and has been getting lots of positive reviews. The new format takes some getting used to but I like it as well. It's still the top newspaper in Canada in terms of readership per capita. I wonder why that is...if it's because of our isolation or because we tend to shun Toronto-based national papers, or what.

[Symz]

There was a little nondescript article talking about the return of a Sunday luncheon that used to be very popular and hosted at the Hilton for many years. Anyways it seems to be returning, but the point of my story is the article says it will be hosted in the Best Western (formerly the Waterfront Hotel). So it sounds like they might have finally got a hotel chain to take over that location!?!

http://windsorstar.com/life/food/new...-back-downtown

[Symz]

I had a feeling. So the Waterfront Hotel is now a Best Western Plus Waterfront Hotel.

Sorry for the gigantic images but I couldn't figure out how to scale them down.







source: http://windsorite.ca/2015/11/downtow...-best-western/