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construction begins on $15.5m windsor city hall ice rink
with a race against time to have downtown windsor’s new...
aug 7 2024
1 minute read
let the digging begin — major construction is shown outside windsor city hall on wednesday, august 7, 2024 as the civic esplanade ice rink project gets underway.
dan janisse
/
windsor star
with a race against time to have downtown windsor’s new $15.5-million ice rink opened in time for at least a portion of the upcoming winter season, the big dig has begun outside city hall.
public access to the civic esplanade just north of city hall has been closed off and heavy machinery has moved in to begin construction, with much of the grassy area now removed.
it took mayor drew dilkens’s deciding vote to break a 5-5 council split and approve the project on june 10.
the councillors who opposed it expressed concerns over the cost — roughly $6 million more than what had been previously approved, and nearly four times as much as the projected cost estimate just two years ago.
major construction at windsor city hall is shown on wednesday, august 7, 2024.
dan janisse
/
windsor star
the project approved includes washrooms, additional infrastructure to host future events, the possibility for food trucks, and a water feature on the rink’s island for summer use — all things that contributed to the project’s increased cost.
“we truly see this as a future event space,” ray mensour, the city’s commissioner of community services, told council at its june meeting.
the ice rink (and summer event space) to the immediate north of city hall is merely phase 1 of a five-phase civic esplanade project — still not fully costed — that will eventually see improvements added up to the riverfront.
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council was advised at the time of final approval that work would have to commence soon in order for local skaters to try out the new oval before winter’s end.
“this project will allow for a year-round flexible gathering space for public celebrations, announcements, seating, etc.,” said colleen middaugh, the city’s manager of corporate projects.
oscar construction company ltd. was awarded the contract for the construction, which middaugh told the star wednesday “will continue for the next several months.”
future ice rink — major construction outside windsor city hall is shown underway on wednesday, august 7, 2024.
dan janisse
/
windsor star
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