Windsor council exploring ‘Village at the Barn’

Windsor council is set to discuss the proposed ‘Village at the Barn’ on Monday. CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco reports.

There is a lot of anticipation for Monday’s city council meeting. An item on the docket is Windsor Arena and the proposed Village at the Barn.

It’ll be the first time council has a chance to discuss the undertaking.

“The discussion is how to make this happen,” City councillor Gary Kaschak told CTV News.

“As everything in the city, the city can’t provide it all. We need help from upper levels of government.”

Councillors are being asked to endorse the Villages at the Barn proposal that’ll transform historic Windsor Arena into a facility with 100 pod-style supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness and compliment work done at H4 next door.

“I don’t really want to see it knocked down. I’d like to see the facade sort of incorporated somehow, but it all comes down to reports and costing and analysis and different things like that,” Kaschak noted.

Other things to consider: Environmental assessments, potential environmental remediation, building code compliance, fire safety, and most importantly, capital, operational, and government funding.

“Council needs to approve this in the interim basis and then we’ll talk about that moving forward.”

Kaschak says if the plan is endorsed, administration will begin exploring the option and then report back to council.

If the plan doesn’t receive government funding?

“I guess we go back to either letting it sit there and rot like it’s been for over a decade or having another EOI (Express of Interest).”

Greg Spencer’s grandfather sold Windsor Arena in 1961 for $275,000. He was disappointed the arena didn’t get to the EOI stage before the village idea but understands why the city pivoted.

“We’d love to get another shot at it, maybe a more refined proposal this time. A little more what the city’s looking for so we’re here ready to be able to put a proposal in,” Spencer said.

Coun. Renaldo Agostino hopes the village proposal will save the barn and leave the door open for a possible retrofit in the future.

“We got to solve the problems of today before we can have the fruits of tomorrow,” he said.

“Wouldn’t it be nice in 20 years when we’re done dealing with the issues we’ve had to deal with that we then repurpose that structure one more time and potentially turn it back into a beautiful arena for the home of the (Windsor) Spitfires?”

Spencer will be in his 70s by then but, “We’ve got the fourth generation already working in the business and fifth is coming along,” he said.

An owner of the Spitfires told CTV News they love their current situation at the WFCU Centre, but if the opportunity were to present itself in the future to return the team downtown, they would consider it. He says an arena downtown is a good centerpiece for any major city like Windsor.