The City of Windsor has unveiled a $16.8 million housing development in the downtown core that will transform an underused municipal parking lot into 48 residential units. Mayor Drew Dilkens, Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino, and development partners announced the Pelissier Park project Wednesday, part of the city’s Housing Solutions Made for Windsor strategy. The three-storey townhouse-style development will be built on Pelissier Street between Wyandotte Street West and Elliott Street West on land currently used as a municipal lot. “We’re adding 48 units to a parking lot that really is hardly utilized,” Dilkens said. “This will help support things like the Farmer’s Market and other businesses downtown as well.” City officials say the project is the second major development under the housing strategy, which focuses on preparing city-owned land for residential construction and supporting a provincial goal of 13,000 new homes by 2031. According to Dilkens, the site was valued at about $950,000 and was offered to developers through a competitive expression of interest process in late 2024. The selected 531 Pelissier Group — which includes BK Cornerstone Design Build, Philip Fernandes Designs, and Realty ONE Group Iconic — plans to build 48 units, including 32 two-bedroom townhomes, eight accessible one-bedroom units, and eight affordable one-bedroom units. Mayor Dilkens said partnerships with the private sector are key to making projects like this viable. “We want to help them realize these goals, and this is a perfect parcel of land to do that,” he said, noting the city worked with developers on land pricing and incentives to help make the project financially feasible. Developers say construction could begin as early as mid-2026, with occupancy targeted for 2027. “We’re pushing hard for July, August of 2026,” said Brent Klundert of BK Cornerstone Design Build. “Residency in 2027… it’ll be a quick build.” Klundert said the project will include a mix of attainable and affordable housing, with some units expected to rent for about $900 per month. “We have 48 units… eight deeply affordable units on the main floors, which is really nice to add to the downtown,” he said. City officials say the development reflects a push toward “missing middle” housing — intended to bridge the gap between single-family homes and large apartment buildings — while increasing density in the core. Coun. Agostino said the project is part of a broader effort to bring more residents downtown. “We need more people. More people solves everything,” he said. “We’re going to bring you downtown — we’re going to leave you here.” The project also aligns with Windsor’s “Strengthen the Core” downtown revitalization plan, aimed at attracting more residents, businesses, and visitors. Dilkens said the city expects to benefit more from long-term property tax revenue than it currently does from the parking lot. “We generate very little revenue in terms of parking on this space,” he said. “We’d rather have the revenue on the property tax side, knowing that there’s affordable housing being created.” Some nearby residents say they support the development but have concerns about its impact. “I’m just a little concerned about any of the extra traffic,” said Peg Dorner, who lives nearby on Victoria Avenue. “But I’m thrilled that they’re actually developing the property.” In addition to the Pelissier site, the city announced three more properties will be added to its housing development portfolio, including the former St. Michael’s Adult Education School on Detroit Street, part of Kinsmen Norman Road Park, and the former Concord Public Elementary School site on Raymond Avenue. The city says the project will incorporate energy-efficient construction and is intended to support long-term affordability and livability for residents.
