Windsor staff estimate cost of converting former arena into housing ‘village’ at $55–$60M

The former Windsor Arena at 572 McDougall St. in Windsor.

The price tag is $55-$60 million to turn the former Windsor Arena into an indoor village that could house and support people experiencing homelessness, mental health, or addiction issues.

A report going to the June 29 meeting of Windsor City Council provides the high-level cost estimate for “The Village at The Barn,” a plan first introduced at the end of May.

The administration report going to council says the project still needs to undertake the design process, and existing site and building conditions are not yet fully understood, so the cost estimate may change. It also doesn’t consider annual operating costs.

Council is being asked to endorse the proposal and $2.5 million in funding previously approved in principle in the 2026 Capital Budget for the H4 Housing Hub project to move the process along.

“The Village at The Barn” is described as a supportive pod-style village set up like a campus-style multi-building facility that would provide housing and wrap-around support services.

The proposal calls for renovations inside the old arena to provide a number of services and amenities, including 102 private, lockable dwellings located within a larger, secure structure.

When the plan was first unveiled, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said at the time that the city is prepared to invest money into this, but they can’t do it without federal and provincial financial support, something they will be seeking.

Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino says they’re not looking to fund this with the Windsor tax base.

“Certainly, we’ll have to do our part, but we have to start advocating to the province and the federal government to move forward,” he says. “We can’t do that without a plan and a price tag, and that’s what we’ve put together for council on Monday.”

Agostino says he feels strongly they’re going to have a great case to put forward to the federal government and the provincial government.

“They’re going to look at us and say these guys have put in the work; they want to try something different; they want to do something to help the community, and they want to do something to help the downtown,” he says. “The question is, if not this, then what?”

“The Village at The Barn” would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The concept is being modelled after Avivo Village in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a low-barrier transitional housing sanctuary that offers 100 private units and holistic support services in a repurposed former industrial warehouse.

Agostino says that saying “no” is not an option.

“We understand that nobody else wants to deal with this. The city has to move forward with this. Things are not changing unless we step forward, step up, and get something done,” he says.

The overall goal is to have it work in coordination with the Housing and Homelessness Help Hub, or H4, which is next to the arena.

The arena at the corner of McDougall Avenue and Wyandotte Street East was built in 1927 but has been unused for several years after being permanently closed in 2012.