Farhi development plans receive rave reviews

News that London developer Shmuel Farhi plans to build three high-rise residential buildings on Windsor's riverfront is generating "excitement" among residents' associations and businesses downtown.

"Those that are hearing the word on the street are very, very excited," said Debi Croucher, executive director of the Downtown Windsor BIA.

Croucher expects the increased foot traffic will spawn new businesses and boost existing business at restaurants, arts and entertainment spaces and other venues.

She says residential capacity is at 100 per cent now, so the plans for the new buildings is welcome news.

Farhi made the surprise announcement Wednesday while unveiling plans for his multi-million dollar housing development on the former Lear site on Lauzon Road.

Farhi says shovels are expected to hit the ground sometime next year for a 24- to 30-storey high-rise residential building at the corner of Janette Avenue and Riverside Drive.

"That's going to be another $50 million development," said Farhi.

Sometime after that, he plans on building another high-rise at the corner of Riverside Drive and Church Street to include condos and a "boutique hotel."

It would be right next to the former Compri Hotel, which Farhi is investing $16 million in to create a DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton.

Then Farhi plans to build another tower at the Janette Avenue site.

"Windsor is a great community," said Farhi, expressing his faith in the city.

"What downtown needs is people, people, people, people," said Ward 3 Coun. Rino Bortolin.

Bortolin expects the developments will populate areas sometimes associated with crime, creating a safer neighbourhood and a domino effect of attracting more residential investment.

But Farhi says the plans are all contingent on the economy, as well as market demand.

Mayor Drew Dilkens said he's been discussing with Farhi the possibilty of locating the new central library in one of the buildings as an anchor tenant to improve the business case for the development.

"Because the numbers themselves may not today warrant the full construction," said Dilkens, adding that having a tenant like the library for 10 to 15 years would make the project more viable.

For her part, Sarah Cipkar from the Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative feels that locating the library on the riverfront might not be the best idea.

"I would fear that if you move it to the riverfront, that might put it just outside of a comfortable walking distance for residents," said Cipkar, adding that if it were a state of the art library it might be worth it.

She added that it's a conversation that needs to be had with residents.

It's expected to take at least 10 years before all the developments are built.