City of Windsor seeks to purchase former Windsor Stadium property

An undated photo of Windsor Stadium. (Source: Google)

The City of Windsor will issue an expression of interest to try and purchase the former Windsor Stadium property.

During an in-camera session Monday, council voted to direct administration to submit an expression of interest (EOI) to the province in the hopes of buying the land at 2365 McDougall St.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says they will go through the process and see if they make it to the end.

“There is interest around the city council table to acquire the Windsor Stadium property, which should be no surprise,” he says. “It’s something we’ve talked about for many years, wanting to incorporate that into Jackson Park and the potential of a housing project there. We’ll see where we get at the end of the day, but we’ll move forward with that acquisition.”

Earlier this month, the city learned that the Greater Essex County District School Board, through the Ontario government, had listed the land for sale for the purpose of housing development.

The fair market value for the property is expected to be just under $3 million.

Because the purchase was not included in the city’s 2025 budget, council would have to find and then approve the money needed.

Dilkens says this will take the province some time to go through.

“We’re not too worried about needing the money today. We think it’s something that can be worked through in a future budget. We’re already at the end of May. By the time the province reviews what it needs to review and makes a decision and closes the transaction, you’re probably close to the end of the year or into next year already,” he says.

Council’s decision to submit an expression of interest for the land has put the future of the bandshell in Windsor’s Jackson Park on the back burner until the property issue is resolved.

A report on the issue was deferred during Monday’s council meeting, as the acquisition of the Windsor Stadium property, which borders the area of the bandshell in Jackson Park, could impact any future decision.

Administration recommends council cancel a request for proposals to conduct a feasibility study on the bandshell due to the cost being above the $120,000 budget set for the study.

The report to council warned there is a significant financial risk associated with conducting the feasibility study and that if it moves forward, there may be findings that determine additional testing might be required, such as soil or environmental, at additional costs.

Administration instead recommends the council consider a symbolic monument/memorial to the site, such as an Emancipation Celebrations Monument within Jackson Park.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the original bandshell hosted Emancipation Day celebrations that drew crowds for speeches from civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was destroyed in a fire and replaced by the existing bandshell, which fell into disrepair and has been used for storage by the city since then.

— Rusty Thomson/AM800 News