There are some expensive improvements planned for downtown Windsor.
On Tuesday, council approved spending $6.7-million for upgrades on Ouellette Avenue from Wyandotte to Elliott Streets.
The tender is 21 per cent over the original budget of $5.6-million.
“Would I have preferred that the project come in on budget on the estimate that we were given? Absolutely,” said Mayor Drew Dilkens.
The work includes reducing Ouellette Avenue from four to two lanes. The medians will be raised and sidewalks and landscaping will also be added. But there will be no bike lanes.
The City will use money from the 2018 capital budget and reserves to complete the project.
Coun. Paul Borrelli feels downtown businesses could be contributing more to the project. But Coun. Rino Bortolin argues they're already doing their fair share.
“So aside from it being insulting, it's ignorant to make those comments that the business community has not stepped up,” says Bortolin. “They pay an exorbitant amount of taxes to look out of their windows today to see weeds and a road that's worthy of Third World conditions in some spots.”
Shovels for the project should hit the ground later this month, with work expected to be complete by 2018.
