Windsor to regain downtown bus depot lands after university exits deal

The former Greyhound bus station between University Avenue and Chatham Street in downtown Windsor.

The University of Windsor is giving the former Greyhound bus depot in the downtown back to the city.

Rising costs to maintain and secure the land along with the property no longer being needed by the university as part of a proposed downtown campus, have been listed as reasons for terminating the agreement.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says they will find a pathway to put that site into good use to help revitalize downtown.

“I know that their plan was about a $5 million plan originally, very, very expensive. Of course, they are dealing with a lot of issues with respect to decreased international student enrollment,” he says.

In 2011, the university took ownership of the Windsor Armouries property at the corner of University Avenue East and Freedom Way with plans to develop an urban campus.

At the time, city council agreed to also transfer the former Transit Windsor/Greyhound bus terminal site, including the building and parking lot, that sat right across the street as part of the overall plan.

The university also entered a deal with the city for the right and license to use the bus station and parkette lands for other purposes related to developing a downtown campus, agreeing to maintain the property as part of the deal.

However, long-term plans for the site were derailed after it was determined the bus depot was situated over the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, limiting below-ground options on the land or constructing a larger building due to weight considerations.

Dilkens says you can’t go underground at that site because the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel is underneath but you could have parking there.

“Maybe it will become part of a parking system that we have. Perhaps we’ll redo the bus station and look for different alternatives if there is a possible tenant for that space,” he says. “The sky’s the limit in terms of what’s possible, but we probably won’t move on that unless and until we have a fully developed plan, and that plan would involve some sort of revenue generation.”

A recent report to the University of Windsor Board of Governors detailed how the school has incurred $75,000 in capital costs related to professional fees to assess the viability of the site along with $20,000 in annual costs for maintaining and securing the licensed land.

Dilkens says there may be a tenant that thinks it’s an interesting space.

“You could probably have 5, 6, or 10 people working in that space. We would be interested in looking at that type of opportunity, and I think things, now that we’ve been given notice that it’s coming back to us, we’ll put it in the queue to be able to deal with and figure out what the future looks like,” he says.

A statement from the University of Windsor says: “The University of Windsor has concluded its licensing agreement with the City of Windsor for the use of the former bus depot site downtown. Following a review of University priorities, it was determined that the property would not be required for any future initiatives. This decision reflects the University’s commitment to fiscal discipline and directing resources toward mission-advancing priorities.”

The former Greyhound Bus station was replaced by the new Windsor International Transit Terminal which opened in 2007 at 300 Chatham St. West near Pitt Street.