Downtown Windsor footprint continues to evolve with The Hive

For the first time in over a decade, a real estate office has officially opened up shop downtown.

“We really took a risk downtown,” said Chris McLeod, broker owner of Realty One. “We didn’t quite know what we were getting into we started down here.”

Wanting to make a difference is a reason McLeod and his group chose the former Don Cherry’s building. “Seeing Realty One open their office here. They're going to employ up to 70 people in this space and then build more,” said Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens.

The realty business is located on the main floor of The Hive, a luxury apartment building on Pelissier Street near Wyandotte. It is the first of more to come according to building owner Brent Klundert of BK Cornerstone.

“With the next one we have on Wyandotte. That's the next anchor. That's gonna be bigger and better.” Klundert said. “We really want to push the envelope and invest in the downtown.”

BK Cornerstone has built 24 units in the Hive. They're hoping the next project will have over a hundred. They are also in talks with investors to create another project with 300 units creating more urban density.

“Through our involvement with the BIA we're gonna move the needles,” said McLeod who also doubles as chair of the Downtown Windsor BIA.

During Thursday’s grand opening Dilkens pointed out the current and future growth of the region telling the gathering Windsor-Essex has seen about 17,000 people move to the area since 2020, four thousand since April.

“You have developers like the ones we're here celebrating today putting their money on the table, investing in renovating buildings and building buildings and creating places for people to live,” said Dilkens.

The Hive was the first to use the CIP grant downtown.

Dilkens said there are many others that have applied for the grant but have yet to act on their request. He wants to see a time limit on applications.

“That's tracking its way back to city council as well because we don't want all of these things hanging out there. We wanna use that money and see it activated in the way that generates property tax and has people move to our downtown area.”

Dilkens is hoping the time limit will be addressed in the next few months.