University chooses architect with disastrous Windsor record
When I read the Windsor Star article about how CS&P was chosen to design the university campus in the Armories and the Windsor Star buildings I nearly fell over.
The Windsor Star first touted that CS&P had experience in Windsor designing the Windsor Police Headquarters and the Ontario Court building.
That shouldn’t have helped them get the job, that should have seen them banished from our city.
Not a religious guy but I will be saying some prayers tonight that something else is going on.
You see, Years ago I championed for the DWBIA to partner with planning to bring a panel of experts to come to Windsor to fix our downtown. They brought the president, from Washington DC, and Downtown experts in various fields, a border and entertainment expert from Niagara Falls, An expert from Kalamazoo that had won the most improved Downtown in America award after an economic disaster losing their main employer Pfizer and an retail marketing and urban planning expert from Toronto.
I was fortunate enough to accompany these people on a walkabout of Downtown Windsor when we stopped in front of the CS&P headquarters. I can’t remember which expert said what but they all agreed that Windsor stood out from other downtowns across north America for its uniquely UGLY architecture and unattractive buildings. I asked to give me an example and the Windsor Police Headquarters was chosen as one of the worst downtown buildings they had ever seen in North America.
I wish I had been recording so that I could share the lengthy diatribe of how that building represented all that was wrong with Windsor. Everything from the surrounding one way streets, to the lack of integration of the main floor with the street. How that building would damn the surrounding area from ever being developed. How it and the adjacent casino garage were one of the main reasons Windsor’s downtown was unwalkable, This area was forever condemned to desolation and it hurt everything from city hall square to charles clark square to the riverfront. It stopped the rest of downtown from benefitting from the Casino.
All under the excuse and guise of “Well, we just gave them what they asked for”
I’m not even scratching the surface of the problems of the cold and sterile nature of the building’s facade, Just think of comparing it to the warm and inviting facade of the Norwich block we destroyed.
I will spare you any more criticism but I was forever scarred by what I had to hear about my beloved downtown. Today I felt like a war vet getting flashbacks of that day where I felt humiliated as a windsorite in front of those I respected so much. It wasn’t them, they were simply telling me that more people in our city needed to hear what they were saying and educate themselves. I may be getting some of the details of what they said incorrect but you have to trust me, unless CS&P has changed, this company has been a menace to our city. And you can’t say that they didn’t know better at the time. At the time our police headquarters was built, the information was out there.
On a positive note, With what I learned, I went on to successfully petition council to follow their own design guidelines when building the transit terminal which originally designed to look like something that came out of East Germany, a soul less windowless bunker of a building. Thats why the thing went over budget and although it cost taxpayers including myself, I know in my heart I helped save us from another death blow to another area. (Yeah, I’m taking credit as the only speaker asking council to go against admin recommendation and having my request added as an ammendment)
Oh, Please, Oh Please I can only hope that we are not doomed to repeat our history since some important people don’t seem to know what our history with CS&P is.
Oh and as a pretty darn important P.S. CS&P also doesn’t have the tender’s mandatory preservation experience as well and they’re already talking about not being able to preserve parts.
These guys forever murdered a part of the city creating a pedestrian unfriendly barrier between our downtown and our casino/convention center/arena. They are a big part of downtown not being able to leverage that tremendous asset.
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Mark, are you really that surprised? This is after all Windsor, where administration won’t rock the boat and council will rubber stamp the cheapest route possible and then claim victory when it is finished.
They (both administration and council) don’t get that some things are more important than an ROI (return on investment); such as parks (how do you get your money back from that?) and aesthetics for the city. Of course unless it benefits those who drive through the corridors to get to their office.
I have asked the city to use the TD bank facade on the new aquatics centre as the second entrance (and smaller entrance) which may face the neighbourhood at Bruce and what would have been Chatham St W. But all I got was stares. I have asked twice now what they thought of the recommendation and I haven’t even heard back from any of them…go figure.
I’m sure the Armories and the Star building will be damaged beyond rpair from this “firm”.
that facade will likely not see the light of day.
One issue is that I don’t necessarily see simply shoehorning it into a project. It shouldn’t just be used for the sake of using it. I’d like to see a fit where it just looks and feels right and natural. I don’t know architecture but it would seem to me that it would have to compliment the rest of the bldg, surrounding street and bldgs. I wouldn’t want ot put it up just cause we have to find a spot.
The problem is that I can’t picture that use or locaton.
Rest of Comment on hold pending conversation with Dr. Wonham (not sure if its “Dr.” or “David” ) who I have to acknowledged has used the word “court” and I have to assume that this was a threat.
Its not that I’m threatened by the court thing (my understanding is that slander/libel only really has significant consequences if someone can show damages, which in this case would prove very difficult), However, I Would like to give him the benefit of the doubt to see if in his opinion, the Chimczuk money can be accessed without his permission or the museum can be called Chimczuk while he holds a trademark on the name.
Will update after a conversation.
@Dave,
The contract was let by the University of Windsor, not City Council and the City administration were not involved. The Star work will also be let by the U of W not by the City.
I wrote the President of the University who replied that high standards were used but and he could not speak to the past harm.
I simply responded that in my view the Architect simply gave the police and city what they asked for and wanted at the time. However I would use the analogy that does not absolve them from responsibility in the murder of this critically important location, it just means they drove the car.
They did irreparable harm to our city on their past projects. After mentioning writing the Windsor Star, the University PResident and trying to raise awareness, hopefully enough eyes will be on this firm to prevent them from killing us again. But that may be too optimistic considering
FUNNY
On their website, The windsor police site is listed BUT no exterior photo’s or any photo’s that show how horrific their design was. The WIndsor police station project has the least amount of photo’s of any project listed on their website and the photo’s are an interior shot of a room and a glass window that can’t be put in context.
These guys should be held to account for costing downtown a link to its convention center / arena.
Oh, they won’t even own up to designing the ontario court house. Guess they took that one as a mulligan
Ultimately it is the city’s responsibility to accept or reject a design that they pay for. While one could argue that this firm is incapable, the buck stops at the city’s door. Criticizing the architect is simply deflecting blame for a poorly planned and executed project from administrators, planners, and elected officials.
I think anyone and everyone’s responsible. City, Architect and public for not speaking out.
We can’t just point fingers anymore. I just hope that enough people are educated this time around to stop bad architecture.
And btw, although the new bus station isn’t as bad as the old it is still a pedestrian unfriendly barrier to the new aquatic center. It should become the home to new science city and the bus station moved near wyandotte taking buses off of pitt and chatcham
We may actually be on the same team. Do you wish to continue discussion in person or in Court ?
See changes to comment above and see email that I’ve sent.
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Luckily, the reconstruction of Erie Street has shown us what the city, business owners and citizens can accomplish when they work together. Hopefully, the lessons we learned with Via Italia can be applied to other old commercial corriders like Ottawa, Ouellette and Wyandotte St. I agree with you when it comes to the ugly architecture of downtown Windsor. The Old Boys Club that governed this city until recently were all to eager to sell out the city and its’ citizens to any developer who could produce great-looking drawings. Unfortunately, the finished result never looked half as good as the drawings because every time the developer changed the plans to save money the city gave in and the final result ended up bastardized.