More needs to be done downtown, despite successful block parties

Windsor is a city of dreams. Host it and they will come.

A large group of soccer fans gathered to celebrate the Copa America Cup final between Argentina and Columbia Sunday night. Another successful block party in downtown Windsor.

“Bringing people together," said Ward 3 City Councillor Renaldo Agostino. "That's what I've been doing for thirty years and sprinkling that into our downtown core has really been effective over the last two months.”

The party started in April with the NFL draft. The soccer block party in front of the Loose Goose on Ouellette Avenue on Sunday night was another good, successful example. To keep the momentum going, a wrestling event is schedule to take place on University Avenue in front of Phog Lounge at the end of July.

The street closures have been good for some downtown businesses.

“To create that traffic, it's fabulous for downtown,” said Kyle Reid, manager at Lefty’s on the O. “It doesn't have to be right in front of our place because we still reap some benefits from it.”

Carl Harris, who works at Dr. Disc, appreciates the increased police presence and notices a subtle change in the core.

“I think any events like that, public events that people can go to downtown, can only help,” he said. “I'm hoping that it can improve and get better and we see more people out and about downtown, especially here on the main street.”

Fred Albabli, owner of Fred’s Fashion Men’s Wear, has seen the change and hears about it from customers and passerbys.

“I see people walking, talking to me,” he said outside of his retail outlet on Monday. “We like the downtown right now. It's moving a little bit.”

Shelley Hull was in town for an event recently from British Columbia and enjoyed the downtown.

“The restaurants and the bar scene down here is wonderful,” said Hull, who noticed one thing missing in the downtown. “Very walkable everywhere. That's wonderful, but we were expecting a little bit more in terms of shopping choices.”

The fix, according to Agostino, is more people living downtown. He is going to ask a council question at next week’s meeting to find out why the Westcourt Building on Goyeau Street and University Avenue is still empty.

“I need some type of update. I look at it every day and say to myself man, that would be a big, big help in what we're trying to do to revitalize the downtown.”

Agostino feels getting other residential developments online would also help other parts of the core.

“If there's anything we could do from a city standpoint, or I could do from a council standpoint to help expedite these projects and get them off the ground, to get them completed, that's a huge part of strengthening the core. Getting people living downtown."