Fairmount Properties suing City of Windsor over quashing of 'Global Village' project
Fairmount Properties is pursuing legal action against the City of Windsor as a "last resort" after council unanimously voted to quash plans for a multi-million dollar, mixed-use development at the former Grace Hospital site, according to legal counsel retained by the developer.
"They've invested an incredible amount of time, energy and money into the project and were frankly blindsided when after a secret closed door meeting all of a sudden, the plug was pulled on this project," said Gardiner Roberts LLP senior partner Gavin Tighe.
Tighe is referring to a decision made by Windsor city councillors during an in-camera meeting on Dec. 1, 2023.
According to the city, council's decision to pull back on selling the land at the corner of University Avenue West and Crawford Avenue to Fairmount Properties was a unanimous one.
Documents filed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice show Fairmount Properties planned to build a mixed-use development which included 400 student housing units and a medical office building along with space for new restaurants, retail and parking.
The project was valued at $140 million.
Following council's decision to axe the Fairmount development, Mayor Drew Dilkens told CTV News Windsor the project "wasn't moving at the speed that we hoped it would be moving at this point."
In their court filing, Fairmount Properties described Dilkens' comments as a "false and defamatory media narrative."
"Fairmont was in complete compliance with the schedule that the city itself had set forth," said Tighe, who added the city had an "exclusive arrangement" with the city.
"Our clients...understood that they were the exclusive partner in this and accordingly had invested in that way," he said.
The city and company signed a memorandum of understanding in 2020.
Fairmount Properties alleges council terminated the agreement "in bad faith," and said the exact reasoning behind the city's decision to axe the project remain undisclosed.
As part of the company's notice of application, the company is ordering a quashing of the in-camera resolutions by council.
Speaking with AM800 Tuesday morning, Dilkens said the city will defend its position vigorously.
"They have decided to proceed in this particular manner. That is up to them," said Dilkens. "We think we are on solid ground. We think there's zero risk to the residents of the City of Windsor."
Dilkens added the city is moving forward with issuing its next expression of interest for the former Grace Hospital site "very soon."
"We said, ‘Let's not delay. Let's do the rezoning and the record of site condition ourselves so that when we're done the expression of interest process, those two key components are already completed which will help construction begin faster,’" the mayor added.
According to Tighe, Fairmount Properties' main goal is to "put the train back on the tracks" after efforts to "initiate a dialogue" with the city fell through.
"This is not some game to litigate. Our clients are in the business of developing and building great public spaces and student homes. They're not in the business of litigating," said Tighe.
"This is a last resort,” he added. “Unfortunately, this is why the courts are here."
None of the accusations have been tested in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hazmat response to north London, Ont. apartment complex
Circumstances around a deceased individual in an apartment raise concerns for first responders.
With AI, jets and police squadrons, Paris is securing the Olympics - and worrying critics
With squadrons of police patrolling Paris' streets, fighter jets and soldiers primed to scramble, and imposing metal-fence security barriers erected like an iron curtain on both sides of the River Seine, the city appears ready to host the Olympics.
Canadian musicians struggle to get visas to perform in the U.S., some cancel shows
Backlogs and processing delays of temporary U.S. visas required by entertainers, athletes and artists has forced some Canadian bands to cancel U.S. tour dates because paperwork wasn't processed in time.
Here are the signs you're ready to downsize your home
Amid the cost-of-living crisis, many Canadians are looking to find ways to save money, such as downsizing their home. But one Ottawa broker says there are several signs to consider before making the big decision.
The Secret Service acknowledges denying some past requests by Trump's campaign for tighter security
The U.S. Secret Service has acknowledged it denied some requests by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's campaign for increased security at his events in the years before the assassination attempt on him at a recent rally.
Uproar over Biden's campaign shows no signs of abating. Manchin is latest to call for a new nominee
The uproar over U.S. President Joe Biden's reelection bid showed no signs of abating Sunday with a fifth senator urging him to withdraw from the race and let Democrats hold an 'open process' for a new nominee. The Biden campaign acknowledged “differing opinions” but said the party would unite to defeat Republican Donald Trump.
'A temporary bump': Taylor Swift's effect on inflation and tourism during the Eras Tour
Taylor Swift fans know all too well the costs that come with travelling to see the singer live on her Eras Tour.
Workplace habit of 'coffee badging' prompts reported new policy at Amazon
The term 'coffee badging' has gained some new significance this week with multiple outlets reporting Amazon is allegedly taking measures to counter the workplace trend it refers to.
How renovictions are affecting the lives of Toronto residents
CP24 reached out to Torontonians who are facing, or who have faced renovictions in the past in order to get a better sense of how the practice impacts people. The stories they shared show that renovictions not only inconvenience those affected, but can have profound impacts on their lives and futures.