A hotel that’s been talked about for years may finally be coming to Amherstburg. A developer wants to build a five-storey hotel along with three four-storey mixed-use buildings at the northwest corner of Simcoe Street and Meloche Road. The proposal includes ground-floor commercial space and residential units above. Councillor Molly Allaire says the project would give visitors a place to stay close to local attractions and events. “There is no question this town needs a hotel and I think it’s a good location with respect to being close to the Libro Centre, so it helps out our sport tourism,” Allaire said. “The [Windsor Essex Bike Community] crew and creating those bike trails, and then also we have all the hockey coming to our town. So it would be great if we could actually have our athletes stay instead of going to a different municipality for their accommodations.” The application will be the subject of a statutory public meeting at Amherstburg Town Hall on August 10 at 5 p.m. No decision will be made that day but Allaire says public input is a key part of the process. “This is the time where people come out, say how they think, feel, ask questions to our planning department. That’s where we get all of our questions out,” she said. “This is good for council. It’s also good for the proponent asking for all these changes because then they can see how the public feels about this building coming in.” She says community feedback is valuable before council weighs the proposal. “I would love it if people actually came out and spoke up or asked their questions. It’s really important that we hear from everyone,” Allaire said. “That’s why I like the power of social media. I mean, we already have questions. Someone proposed a good question, it’s right across from the quarry, how is that going to work?” Feedback, questions and concerns from residents will be prepared into a report and brought back to council at a later date. Residents can attend in person, watch online, or register to participate electronically by contacting the town clerk before August 6.
