1) I attended the Initial community engagement session at The Windsor Aquatic Centre in 2018 on the Streetcar Restoration Project.
Much of the feedback and chatter was centred around placing the streetcar as an extension of the
Art Gallery on the grounds outdoors and/ or returning it closest to it’s original location, near the
Trolley House on University Ave West, as part of revitalization efforts for the University of
Windsor to downtown corridor.
With the current project, I’m surprised at the Beacon East-West park system concept project becoming a mash up of the Trolley restoration project and the West Celestial Beacon concept. It feels like two very disconnected projects forced together. I don’t think it gives either concept proper consideration.
The community after having been consulted from a very broad range of brainstormed ideas, was not consulted once the results were analyzed. There hasn’t been any communication of the results of the engagement, administration’s short list of final proposed locations, and subsequent decisions back to the community. In particular, a lack of communication to the residents that will be most directly impacted by the project.
The first premise of valid placemaking is community consultation in a manner that there is an ongoing dialogue.
The community is then able to trouble-shoot both the negative and positive impacts, develop collaborative ownership with the project, and can work alongside the municipality to ensure an appropriate development, that best serves residents, visitors and the municipality as a whole.
2) Secondly, I don’t see a great business case to support another event centre, particularly during post Covid budgets and constraints that will be upcoming. I’m concerned since the downtown projects of The Bistro (the business case litmus test) and Adventure Bay have not been successful, I doubt the west, newcomer, university and permanent resident stakeholders will be able to keep this project financially viable. Even if a brewery was placed at this location, (which could be a better concept fit for a University-west community venue), I strongly doubt it would be financially practicable. How often does someone from Tecumseh, Belle River, or even South Windsor visit the west riverfront Parks? These parks are primarily used by the people who live closest to them.
I’m very concerned a second venue of similar type only a few kms down Riverside Drive will not fair as well, and will eat into market share of the struggling Bistro and many other restaurants in the industry, post pandemic.
At the very least, It is incumbent upon us to pause this expenditure, as the economic landscape is shifting. It is the most responsible thing to do at this moment in time.
3) Thirdly, and most importantly, the west community is very diverse and enjoys the green