Festival Plaza in Downtown Windsor is a point of hot contention right now in Windsor. It is expected that improvement options will be presented to city council next with an eye towards rejuvenating the space to draw better events and attention to a struggling downtown core.
There are three options in the report to council are canopies to cover Festival Plaza along with a host of other amenities and upgrades to the plaza.
Option 1 is to install a full-sized canopy along with upgrades to the site to include site and canopy lighting, a water feature, landscaping, and more. The canopy would provide coverage for approximately 5,000 people and the estimated cost for this option is $67.2-million.
Option 2, is to add a canopy, but at a reduced size, roughly 50% so coverage for around 2,500 people. This option also includes lighting, landscaping and site works, however, it does not include any extra amenities from option 1 like the water feature. The estimated cost fro this option is $48.1-million.
Option 3, the option that is recommended by administration, is estimated to cost $17.3-million. This is the no-canopy option, instead it would include site improvements, landscaping improvements like trees being planted, a new multi-function water feature, and improved infrastructure like new and updated connections to Riverside Drive.
Which option do you want to see the city choose for Festival Plaza?
Photo courtesy of Partisans Architecture Studio
News credit: Delaurier, M. (2024, January 9). Festival plaza improvement options to be presented to City Council next week. iheartradio. https://www.iheartradio.ca/am800/news/festival-plaza-improvement-options-to-be-presented-to-city-council-next-week-1.21259401
