The Downtown Windsor BIA is hosting a Town Hall Meeting to garner the opinions and concerns of downtown merchants, neighbours and residents on the sale of the Downtown Windsor Public Library to the Downtown Mission, and on the Mission's proposed repurposing of the property. The meeting takes place at 5:30pm on Tuesday June 26 at the Best Western Hotel, 277 Riverside Drive West, and all are welcome.
Earlier this year, the City of Windsor announced the $3.6 million sale of the downtown library to the Downtown Mission. At that time, the Mission proposed moving its kitchen, programs and offices to library’s first floor while converting the second-floor into transitional housing and one-bedroom apartments. The deal closes in June 2019.
“The DWBIA is concerned with the impact this move will have on local businesses, residents, and the development of the community as a whole,” said Larry Horwitz, Chair of the Downtown Windsor BIA. “We believe that in order to assess the effects specific facilities in the downtown may have on the neighbourhood, it is crucial to engage our stakeholders. The Town Hall Meeting is the first step in doing so, and we invite all interested parties to join us and lend their voice to the conversation.”
In addition to the Town Hall Meeting, the DWBIA is seeking to conduct a research study assessing the impact the Mission’s relocation to the Library may have on commercial and residential property values, crime rates, economic development, and neighbourhood quality. The study may include components such as personal reconnaissance, key informant interviews, focus groups, and a geographic information system (GIS)-based framework that analyses the spatial characteristics and patterns associated with the number of social services agencies in the downtown.
