Bridge Authority to open public office at historic Sandwich post office

CTV Windsor: Old post office building revived A historic building in Sandwich Town is getting a new tenant. Rich Garton has more.

The crown corporation charged with overseeing the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor and Detroit is opening up offices in Windsor and Detroit – more specifically, in the neighbourhoods of Sandwich Towne and Southwest Detroit.

The Windsor Community Office is located in the historic former Sandwich post office at 3201 Sandwich Street West – a building that has been vacant since Canada Post ceased operations from that facility in 2013. The 113-year-old building is protected by a municipal heritage designation.

It was previously a coffee shop for a short period of time before closing.

Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority reps say they’re happy to be part of the host communities – which will provide a place for community members and stakeholders to meet with the project team and collect information about the project while construction is underway.

“Implementing these resources for the community and the project team to interact is an important step in having an active presence within the host communities of Delray and Sandwich,” says WDBA CEO Bryce Phillips. “Our hope is that these tools will continue to strengthen and facilitate the relationships we have built and be a clear demonstration of our commitment to keeping the public informed about North America’s largest infrastructure project along the Canada/US border – the Gordie Howe International Bridge.”

The Southwest Detroit community office is located at 7744 West Vernor Highway, just north of Delray, Michigan where the Gordie Howe Bridge will connect across the Detroit River.

Renovations are currently underway to prepare the space, but a public sneak peek of the Sandwich office on Thursday, Jan. 24 from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It’s being dubbed as an opportunity for the community to learn more about the project’s community benefits and provide input on proposed initiatives.

The bridge authority is also committing to responding to all public inquiries within three business days.

“Our goal is to make access to project information easy for the community and reflective of individual needs,” WDBA reps indicated through a media release Thursday.

To assist with that, the WDBA has also launched a new website to coincide with the start of construction. In conjunction with the private sector consortium, Bridging North America, the new website will be updated on a regular basis with construction updates and news about the project.

A toll-free number for callers in Canada and the USA will be monitored Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The new toll-free number is 1-844-322-1773.

The cost to build, maintain and operate the cable-stayed bridge will be $5.7 billion and is expected to open by the end of 2024.