The Ambassador Bridge Company is preparing to demolish about 40 derelict structures along Indian road to make way for a new bridge.
The City of Windsor isn't standing in the way, but there may be another hurdle to consider.
When the federal government granted the bridge company the final permit, finally allowing it to build a new bridge next to the Ambassador, company president Dan Stamper promised swift progress and he wasn't kidding.
Some in the west Windsor neighbourhood wonder if the bridge company is considering one of the major stipulations in the government's order.
The homes have sat boarded up for nearly a decade.
“Today, it's just another part of the drama that unfolds," says Mike Cardinal.
For neighbourhood residents, that may soon change.
“Demolition is by neglect is what we predicted will happen, and this is really where we're at," says Cardinal.
“The Ambassador Bridge has applied for demolition permits to tear down those homes,” says Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens. “The city has issued them because we have no choice and so I would expect demo will happen in due course."
Dilkens says the interim control by-law, halting any buildings from coming down on Indian Road is totally nullified by the federal order which also calls for the Ambassador Bridge to convert the homes into parkland.
“The city has done everything they can to protect City of Windsor and Sandwich," says Dilkens.
The bridge company must check certain boxes before it can proceed.
All utility locates must be marked by local utilities, it's already being done along sections of Indian Road.
But it must also consult with Walpole First Nation at a number of stages, especially for potential archeological issues.
“This is sensitive land,” says resident Terrence Kennedy. “The reason it's called Indian Road, this was all tribal land."
And that's significant, because just a block away at the new Sandwich roundabout, construction has been halted thanks to the discovery of indigenous artifacts.
Former Walpole Chief Dean Jacobs, who oversees heritage preservation for the band, says he just sent bridge company president San Stamper an email Friday to continue dialogue.
“We will have, with the cooperation of Ambassador Bridge, an archeological monitor from Walpole Island to make sure there are no residual artifacts or archeological evidence as they remove those homes," says Jacobs.
Jacobs believes there may in fact be native artifacts in the neighbourhood and they will work to protect the land of their first nation ancestors.
Dilkens says the lawsuit with the bridge company will continue because there are homes outside of the boundary for the Ambassador Bridge.
Dilkens believes demolition will likely begin in the next few weeks.
