Developer proposing five towers for Windsor’s waterfront

The current CBC building in Windsor, Ont. at 825 Riverside Drive. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)

A property developer is bringing forward plans to create 1,602 new rental units across several towers on Windsor’s waterfront.

At a public house on Wednesday evening, Auburn Developments pitched residents on their plans to redevelop property along Riverside Drive West and Crawford Avenue.

Used to house CBC News Windsor, the property would be redeveloped to include three high-rise apartment buildings consisting of five towers, each with 17 to 25 storeys.

Despite existing holdings in Windsor, Alex Vandersluis, a development manager for Auburn, said this will be their largest project in the city.

“I think it can sort of extend the downtown to the west a little bit and perhaps allow for some infill development between here and the downtown core,” Vandersluis told CTV News.

As part of the plans, Auburn would create a block of townhouses with 44 units for rent. To avoid neighbourhood congestion, plans include more than 1,700 parking spaces between underground and above-grade structures.

“I think, coming in, I maybe expected to hear more opposition than we did, so I think we heard, you know, we’ve got great partners in the neighborhood who want to see development,” Vandersluis said.

More than a dozen residents who live near the proposal attended the meeting, with most showing support.

Donald Albert, whose home sits about three blocks away, believes the area is in need of more growth.

“So I’m all for it. I’m not worried about the parking. I’m not worried about the traffic. I want people here. It brings restaurants. It just brings people downtown,” Albert said.

Many residents asked Auburn to consider adding commercial units along the bottom level of the structures to include cafes, shops, and perhaps a grocery store.

The development remains many years from coming to fruition due to the approvals and processes required by the city and province.

“Why do you have to wait so many years to get something built?” Albert questioned.

“I kind of look over the river to Detroit, things get built within a year to two years. Here, it takes 5 to 6 years. It’s not acceptable when there’s a housing shortage; it should be built right away.”

In addition to zoning approvals at City Hall, Auburn Developments must also meet heritage requirements.

CBC Windsor’s 825 Riverside Drive West property is listed on the city’s municipal heritage register.

As part of a heritage impact assessment Auburn plans to submit, Vandersluis added they will outline how the redevelopment reuses existing materials and commemorates the building’s history.

Concerns towards the project for area resident Sarah Morris are due to fears that the current building could be demolished without Auburn’s plans coming to fruition.

“So our concern is that if this development doesn’t go through and the CBC isn’t there, then we have the worst of both worlds,” Morris explained.

“Many people in Windsor have been heartbroken by projects that have not gone through, and it’s important to us to see that.”

Representatives for the developer ensured residents that it would be difficult to get approvals to demolish the CBC building without showing a clear intent to move forward.

“I would love to see the investment in our neighborhood. That’s really important to us, so it would be a huge boon to the neighborhood if it does happen,” Morris added.

Following the consultation on Wednesday evening, Vandersluis said they will return to a team of consultants to consider any changes before submitting their application to the city.

“To see, you know, what sort of tweaks we might make as we finalize a resubmission and then get into, you know, kind of the formal public process with the city,” Vandersluis noted.

Public process would include reports to city committees and eventually Windsor City Council. If it receives all the necessary approvals, it’s expected to take about three to five years to get shovels in the ground.