Installation of decorative lights almost complete in downtown Windsor

Source: Renaldo Agostino/Facebook.

More lights in downtown Windsor.

The city and the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association are in the final stretch of installing decorative lights on Ouellette Avenue between Riverside Drive and Tuscarora Street.

The first section of lights was put up in September 2024 on Ouellette Avenue from Riverside Drive to Chatham Avenue.

Ward 3 city councillor Renaldo Agostino says it’s taken almost two years to complete the entire stretch and feels it’s another step in the right direction for the downtown core.

He says lights have already been installed past Park Street, with the reminder being installed within the next week.

Agostino says the lights can change colours and do some fancy tricks.

“They’re really advanced LED lighting built for the outdoors, built for the elements,” said Agostino.

“It’s taken us quite some time to get to the end of this project, but we are almost there, and it’s another step in the right direction for the downtown. It looks beautiful.”

He said the response for the lights has been fantastic.

“People love the lights; they love the colours,” he said.

“We’ve had so much conversation over the years about lighting up the downtown core and potentially moving Bright Lights, but I’ve always said it’s the right lights you need downtown, and these are the right ones. They’re all circular globes that look fantastic during the day when they’re not on, and at nighttime, they can change multi-colours, they can do different patterns, and we’re really looking forward to supporting events in the community, get some projects and different groups that way to light up the downtown, and support different events.”

Agostino believes the entire lighting project will cost less than $250,000.

He says the Windsor International Film Festival also contributed towards the project.

In 2024, the city said the first phase of a project aligns with the Strengthen the Core: Downtown Windsor Revitalization Plan.

The lights are placed on both sides of the street and include programmable elements for different colours, speeds, and patterns.