Developer withdraws plans for $300 million residential build due to lack of ‘direction’ by Windsor in homelessness

Downtown Windsor missing out on development due to the homeless situation. CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco investigates.

A developer has decided to forgo investing $300 million into downtown Windsor due to a perceived of direction from city hall when it comes to homelessness, mental health and addictions.

Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Area (BIA) Chair Chris MacLeod says he feels it’s necessary to highlight this setback.

“[The developer] was planning to invest $300 million in our local downtown by building 500 residential units, [and] has put his plans on hold because, you know, we don’t have a direction for what we’re doing with supporting homelessness and mental illness in our in our community,” he stated frankly.

MacLeod is normally very positive when it comes to the downtown but says the city’s decision not to go ahead with the Wellington location for a H4 hub didn’t sit well with the developer, “last fall when that plan went sideways, he kind of pushed the pause button.”

On Monday, city councillor Renaldo Agostino asked administration to look into what other cities are doing when it comes to relocating the emergency shelters somewhere other than downtown.

Peter Valente, President of Valente Development, supports the Downtown Mission but feels the visual has to change, “The other day, I was driving with a gentleman from Toronto and the first thing, we’re crossing past Erie Street. I said, ‘I built this building,’ and we see a big homeless population.”

He says a strategic spot for services should be chosen to best help people. When asked, Valente said he would invest in downtown again, however, “We’d like to see more positive momentum with other projects.”

MacLeod says there are major projects that could be catalysts to creating urban density and push downtown in the right direction, with some developers that “still have projects in the works.”