Windsor city council could kibosh hundreds of millions of dollars in housing investment if it prevents a London developer from dismantling a historic radio and television station.
Project Details and Heritage Concerns
Aurburn Developments Inc. plans to take down the CBC Windsor building, which once housed CKLW Radio, to build five residential towers and a townhouse block on the massive lot at Riverside Drive West and Crawford Avenue it has owned since the 1960s.
But the city's intention to give the 1958 building heritage designation and protection from the wrecking ball could stop the residential project with 1,602 housing units in its tracks.
“If the retention of the building is required, I don't think the project will go forward,” Chris Pidgeon, principal planner with GSP and representative for Auburn Development Inc., told the Star.
“The intent at this point is to salvage the materials and commemorate those materials in whatever shape or form that may take. That is what's being contemplated by our heritage consultant.”
Proposed Development Features
On Monday, Pidgeon spoke to members of Windsor's development and heritage standing committee about Auburn's request for zoning bylaw and official plan amendments — changes necessary for the “very” high-profile and mixed-use buildings to proceed on mostly vacant land currently occupied by the squat news building.
The project will include five residential towers ranging from 17 to 25 storeys, and one three-storey stacked townhouse with 24 units. It will have roughly 1,725 parking spaces, mostly below ground, as well as a naturalized habitat corridor and some ground-floor commercial space.
Committee Approval and Next Steps
The committee's four present members — councillors Angelo Marignani (Ward 7), Kieran McKenie (Ward 9), Jim Morrison (Ward 10), and citizen member Robert Polewski — unanimously approved the amendments. Councillors Fred Francis (Ward 1), Mark McKenzie (Ward 4), and citizen members Daniel Grenier and Anthony Arbour were absent.
“We want these developments. Everybody's really excited about this,” said one committee member.
The matter is subject to approval from city council as a whole at a future meeting.
Heritage Designation Status
So far, the city has implemented “holding provisions” on the project to “ensure the heritage features of the CBC building are conserved (and) incorporated into the new development,” said Laura Diotte, the city's manager of building development applications.
The property, which sits on Windsor's heritage register, has not yet gone to city council for approval of heritage designation, which offers enhanced protection from demolition.
Although the developer and property owner previously expressed opposition to the city's plan to pursue heritage designation for the property, the company has since come around, provided that it can dismantle the building.
