A major downtown Windsor development proposed by prominent London-based developer Shmuel Farhi has moved closer to securing significant municipal financial support. A city council committee has given preliminary approval for grants and tax reimbursements valued at over $3 million for an $80-million high-rise condominium project planned for the city's waterfront.
Committee Greenlights Financial Support Package
On Monday, January 7, 2026, Windsor's development and heritage standing committee voted in favour of providing public funding incentives for the proposed project at 629 Riverside Drive West. The support package includes an immediate grant of $50,000 and, more substantially, a decade-long reimbursement program for incremental tax increases resulting from the development's enhanced property value.
According to a city staff report, the tax increment-based grants are estimated to be worth more than $3 million over ten years. This preliminary approval is a crucial step, but the final decision rests with Windsor City Council as a whole. City planner Neil Robertson clarified that if council grants final approval, Farhi's company would have a two-year window to begin construction, or the city could rescind the incentives.
Details of the Proposed Waterfront Tower
The project, spearheaded by Shmuel Farhi's Richmond Block London Corporation, calls for a 27-storey, mixed-use building featuring 188 residential units. The total construction cost is pegged at $80,330,241. First announced in 2022, the project has been awaiting its start, but a representative for the developer now indicates shovels could hit the ground soon.
Theresa O'Neill, a planning agent with Dillon Consulting Ltd. representing Farhi's company, provided an update to the committee. "We are currently working through the final stages of site plan control approval, and, as well, working through the initial building permit application for the foundation," O'Neill stated during a virtual presentation. "We anticipate getting all those necessary approvals in the next couple of months, and then shovels in the ground would be planned for spring of this year."
Incentives Aimed at Boosting Downtown Development
The financial incentives sought by the developer are not unique to this project. They are part of the Downtown Windsor Enhancement and Community Improvement Plan (CIP), a strategy approved by council in 2017 to stimulate development and rehabilitation in the city's core.
The plan includes two key incentives for eligible projects:
- A grant of $2,500 per residential unit, capped at $50,000, for new residential construction.
- Grants that reimburse property owners for increased municipal property taxes over a period of five to ten years following improvements that raise a property's assessed value.
Ward 10 Councillor Jim Morrison, who chairs the development committee, expressed strong support for the project, calling it a potential "catalyst" for future downtown development. The move signals the city's continued commitment to using its CIP framework to attract significant private investment and transform its urban landscape.
