Community group asking city for equipment back, reimbursement for renovations inside former Water World

MH100 is asking for their equipment back and reimbursement at the former Water World.

A community group that was forced out of the former Water World building during the COVID-19 pandemic claims the City of Windsor owes them $500,000 in expenses and equipment.

Mehari Hagos with MH100, a group focused on keeping at-risk kids active, addressed council Monday as part of the long list of delegations speaking to the proposed 2026 City of Windsor budget.

Hagos claimed when the former Water World site on Wyandotte Street was transformed into the Housing and Homelessness Help Hub (H4) in 2020 during the pandemic, the city took control of equipment owned by the group.

He also detailed that the group spent $60,000 on murals inside of the building’s community space during its 12 years there, along with expenses for electrical work and gym equipment, including treadmills to weights.

Hagos told council he hasn’t been able to access the space since then and that they’re not pointing fingers, they just want their stuff back.

“All we’re asking for today is just basically equipment loss, everything we lost there. We lost over almost $500,000 worth of equipment, renovations we put in there. I just wanted to bring awareness,” he said.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said he’s talked to Hagos before about city support for the program.

“Today he spent time talking about lost equipment and murals on the wall of Water World, it’s the first time I’ve heard of equipment, he’s mentioned equipment there that he’s never retrieved,” he said.

“If Mahri submits a list of things, we’re certainly willing to review that and see if there’s anything at Water World that belongs to him.”

MH100 has not returned to the former community space since it became H4 but did operate out of John Atkinson Community Centre for a time. The group is currently operating out of space at St. Clair College and the University of Windsor.

Around 350 kids are in the program.