RAZE THIS HISTORICAL BANK BUILDING
This 89 year old brownstone is not worth saving. That's what the property's owner says and the current City Council and administration have gone along for the ride without the slightest quibble. "Too late" they said. It wasn't on the Heritage inventory. Chalk another one up for the City of Windsor's "Wooops!" policy for protecting Heritage properties.
City solicitor George Wilkki offered little legal hope council could save the building. "Someone mentioned it would take a miracle (to save the building) and I think it would take more than that," he said. "There are no legal grounds to stop demolition. It would have to be something the applicant agrees to in terms of discussion."
"In terms of discussion". So who's talking? The Heritage Planner? Ah...We don't have one of those. Ward councillors? Haven't seen any sign of that. Who then? Yes there ARE points to discuss! Plenty of them. But nobody wants to speak up. Why?
Let's start with the applicant. Spiro Govas. This is the man who is developing the Club Lofts at Monmouth Road and Wyandotte. He must know patience and he may be very open to dialogue on heritage preservation. Is anybody speaking with him about the importance of this building and the return it can provide for him?
Has anyone even questioned his rationalle for razing the building? Mr. Govas claims that the building must be taken down because he stands to lose $340,000.00 over ten years from a tenant who promised to bolt if the building is not demolished. That's only $34,000.00 per year. At a seven dollars per square foot lease rate we know that the tenant is probably occupying a mere 6800 square feet of his strip mall. STRIP MALL! Mr. Govas cannot be so short sighted to think that his future lies with such a tennant. He must know that the bank building can effectively serve as an attractant or anchor for the entire property. Who is trying to convice him of that?
Who came up with the math and why is the city just accepting it at face value? $500,000.00 for repairs? The building is roughly 4200 square feet. A completely new structure can be erected for that money. The building is sound and straight. A cap of $240,000.00 is all it needs. We already know that it will serve well as a restaurant, a spa or even an office building. Mr. Govas could even move his offices into this far superior and much more visible building than the one he is in now. Something which will help frame in the south east corner of Old Walkerville. Something which ties Ottawa Street to Walker. Something which will set precedence and boost the importance and value of the commercial and residential area as a whole.
Perhaps Mr. Govas just doesn't want to pay tax and insurance. If that's the case then maybe the City ought to impose a special (higher) property tax on the planned parking lot which will take the building's place.
That's just the start of it... You see...There is plenty to discuss. The reality is that tomorrow is "D-Day" for Mr. Govas' demanding tenant. His tennant wants the building gone by tomorrow. So who from this city administration has the nards to stand up and talk to Mr. Govas?
SAVE THIS STRIP MALL
Click on images to enlarge
22 comments:
It certainly looks like he needs more parking so we can all go sit outside of those vacant shops. Such a shame.
Hey MOM--
I've got a great idea. Why don't YOU buy the building with YOUR OWN MONEY so you can "save" it?
Or use YOUR OWN MONEY to hire a lawyer and sue the OWNER using your OWN FUNDS instead of MY tax dollars. You'd lose, of course, because the rightful owner of the property IS NOT BREAKING ANY LAWS, but I'm sure you can afford it. Money (and the responsibility of property ownership) seems to be no object to you.
Fool, please. There's a reason they invented private property in the first place-- but then, your public education wouldn't have explained THAT to you, now would it have?
Windsor-Essex has enough problems than to deal with whiny "heritage-building-huggers" like you to make people do things with their own stuff that they don't want to do. News flash-- if more people start thinking in the socialist, "Nanny-state", "community-ownership" way you do, in a hundred years there won't BE any "heritage" to worry about anyway.
BTW and FYI-- it's "R-A-Z-I-N-G", not "R-A-I-S-I-N-G". 'Nuff said.
To anonymous 2...
You state what we all know as the obvious. Yes...property rights are at the crux of such issues. That is why "talking" and "dialogue" are critical. Maybe, just maybe...the value of historical preservation, when presented properly and thoroughly will convince a given property owner that it is in his/her best interest to preserve. This one case is a classic example. For a meager short term lease a building with a much longer term investment and revenue potential will be vaporized. The humour in the situation is that there is nothing the property owner can do if his prize tennant decides to opt out of the lease or, for that matter becomes insolvent.
In 50 years what legacy and what value will that strip mall have? What should be pondered is why has there only been two or three tennants in the building for the last several years? Will razing the gem on the corner solve this issue? Not likely.
As for me...Not a "Building Hugger at all". I do however want my kids to know and identify with the history of the city they were born in. Unfortunately, Windsor, more than any other city I know has become an archtechtural and historical wasteland due only to a perpetual lack of hind or foresight and proper long term planning. Sadly, my kids might only identify with strip malls. That...Anonymous 2 is the legacy which you are propagating. Thanks for pointing out my spelling error.
who invited that guy?
Maybe if they took down those awful blue signs the building would be more marketable.
"I do however want my kids to know and identify with the history of the city they were born in."
That's great. It's YOUR job to instill this in them, then-- not some poor mis-calculating schnook who thought that by buying a piece of property in Windsor he'd actually be able to turn over a meagre profit!
If you really want to preserve the (presumably proud) "identity" of Windsor (and/or Walkerville), then you should spend more time on your blog educating Windsor about THE EVILS being perpetrated on them by their Municipal, Provincial, and Federal Governments, rather than giving them the false hope that these Governments can actually solve their problems (of which, they are actually THE CAUSE).
Oh yeah, by the way, Anonymous. I wasn't invited here. And I know I'm a little bit irritating. Sorry. I'm NOT a cheerleader for anybody trying to present a "positive" spin on the dreadful situation that has befallen the Rose City, and that seems to offend people. And, quite frankly, I don't "Believe" W.E. Can, either. I guess I'm not a good citizen, huh? Well, if you ask me-- I'd say we need a few more "traitors" then, if we're ever going to turn this thing around. LOWER TAXES. CUT CITY SPENDING NOW. REVIVE DOWNTOWN WITH TAX BREAKS AND INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO EARN A PROFIT. ACKNOWLEDGE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM AND REALIZE THE C.A.W. NO LONGER HAS ANY POWER, AND IS SIMPLY HINDERING THIS AREA'S CHANCE OF GETTING ANY MORE MANUFACTURING BUSINESS-- EVER. VOTE OUT EVERYBODY EXCEPT HALBERSTADT. DON'T DEPEND ON THE EVIL CASINO TO SAVE US.
Sounds bad, but it IS bad.
This city administration can't do a damn thing right. We ar eso laughed at by other municipalities that have their own fair share of issues but not to the extent of Windsor's. The blind leading the blind is all I have ever seen from this farcical town.
Hey Anonymous1. What do you think we are trying to do here re-invent the wheel? No one is asking for much other than to keep what heritage we have left.
All I ever hear from Windsor city hall and residents is that they want tourist dollars. How in the hell can you have tourists if a city looks like all of the rest?
for anonymous 1
I think the Mayor was thinking along the lines of "show and tell"
10 years from now what will we have to show? A parking lot? And how much profit is in that?
He is right about one thing. You seem to have a penchant for overstating the obvious.
You are right. Profits are at stake. Probably more of it by saving the building and putting it to profitable use. Especially since it was bought at a fire sale price.
You sound like a downtown BIA minion. Is that a good call?
The safety fences are up and the heavy equipment is poised for demolition tomorrow morning. If we are really lucky this $340,000.00 will bring a worthy anchor. A Dairy Queen perhaps.
The medical and dental offices housed by the strip mall are usually quite busy. My old family doctor normally sees about twenty to thirty patients every day. Deplorably, said patients tend to drive themselves to their appointments. The strip mall and its parking lot weren't designed to accommodate roughly one hundred cars per week. Then again, Windsor does have a shortage of family doctors.
The aforementioned property owner could've been more neighbourly perhaps by providing concerned Windsorites with information regarding potential "retrofitting" costs for the old BMO building. I imagine said building is inefficient.
Regardless, you do have to admire the quality craftsmanship of the old bank.
To robert f.e. Scherer:
That being said, all they had to do was tear down the guard rail which separates the two parking lots. That would open up the entire property for parking less the footprint of the bank building itself. If they are tearing it down for parking alone then it is really really wrong. Watch..."Pay and Display".
Regardless, the space occupied by the bank will not provide many parking spaces.
Evidently, the old Paul Martin residence is more important. The Liberal connections are too obvious to ignore.
Word has it that the new tennant is the Ukranian Credit Union. Go figure...Tear down a solid bank building to put a bank in the strip mall.
Look, anonymous (Funny how all the dissenters won't put their name forward),
You are stating that saving heritage costs taxpayers money
You are wrong. (this happens to be a unique case where the bldg wasn't on the list so you may be correct in this, AND ONLY THIS, particular case)
Case studies have shown time and time again that heritage bldgs have the greatest impact on surrounding property assessment values. That means that preserving this building will keep assessments high in the long term creating higher revenues.
The strip mall shown will lower surrounding property values costing you and I and everyone else money in the long term.
I don't want my taxes raised and the best way to do that is to preserve heritage bldgs. In the long term it is the a proven method to keep assessment values up.
Signed Mark Boscariol
Anonymous, I would also challenge you or anyone else to a debate any time or place of your choosing. i am one of the "whiny 'heritage-building-huggers" that pays over $100,000 property taxes per year for the various bldgs I own and have a vested interest in seeing those proprty taxes kept low.
Walkability, transit, parks and heritage Preservation are the 4 greatest factors in property values. I suggest you read Chris Leinberger or other experts and educate yourself
Mark Boscariol
Anonymous, I would also challenge you or anyone else to a debate any time or place of your choosing. i am one of the "whiny 'heritage-building-huggers" that pays over $100,000 property taxes per year for the various bldgs I own and have a vested interest in seeing those proprty taxes kept low.
Walkability, transit, parks and heritage Preservation are the 4 greatest factors in property values. I suggest you read Chris Leinberger or other experts and educate yourself
Mark Boscariol
sorry for the multiple posts but it always irks me when some yo-yo claiming to be a capitalists calls people 'socialist fools' when they have absolutely no understanding of what they are talking about.
I'm a proud capitalist, I am in this for my self interst, Preserving heritage is in my self interest. The difference is I see things long term meaning beyond 1 year.
UKRANIAN CREDIT UNION!
That's Tony Blak.
Keep in mind the UCC is already on Ottawa St. This is only a lateral move.
So we lose the bank building and gain another vacancy on Ottawa St. towards Parent...
It's no wonder why people no longer want to call it "Old Walkerville" - all of the "old" is being torn down before our eyes. What do you think brings character to an "old" area??? Makes your wonder who's pockets are being lined with all of these "historical errors" lately..... It's time to put an end to this and save what is left in the area. Isn't it bad enough that we lost a quarter of the Walkerville business district to a fire and the remaining to absent minded officials and non-caring property owners?
Does anyone even GO to the businesses in that awful looking stip mall?? If you're going to own a strip mall, at least make it look good to attact customers. I'd rather look at the structural qualities of the building that was destroyed than the scrap metal look of that strip mall. To the owner of the strip mall - get out of Walkerville if you don't like what it has - because we don't want you!
"To the owner of the strip mall - get out of Walkerville if you don't like what it has - because we don't want you!"
The medical offices housed by said strip mall are too busy to close; the universal health care system trumps heritage preservation. Besides, general practitioners are well-connected politically (just not enough to get Greenlink constructed).
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