'We need to do something with Festival Plaza': Heat reducing options to be considered at city council

Plans to reimagine Festival Plaza will be considered at Windsor’s next city council meeting on Monday.

Councillors will be presented with a staff report to discuss the detailed design for the plaza, while reviewing three options to improve daytime use of the outdoor venue.

“We need to do something with Festival Plaza because it's a great opportunity to use it as something to bring people downtown,” said Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino.

“In the past, it has been used to bring people downtown,” he explained. “Thousands and thousands and thousands of people downtown. We just got to make sure we do it the right way and we need to position it in the proper way as a facility.”

Three options for the space will be presented, each with varying multi-million dollar price tags.

Option 1 for a full-sized canopy, estimated at $67.2 million, would provide coverage of approximately 5,000 people standing and includes site and canopy lighting, a water feature, landscaping, site works, and more.

Festival Plaza, seen on Jan. 10, 2024. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

Option 2, which is a 50 per cent reduced sized canopy estimated at $48.1 million, would provide coverage of approximately 2,500 people standing, and includes lighting, landscaping and site works, but wouldn't include "extra amenities" such as the water feature.

Option 3, which is recommended by administration, is no canopy, estimated at $17.3 million. It would include site and landscaping improvements such as trees being planted, a multi-function water feature, and improved connections to Riverside Drive.

Agostino said, “When you look at the bones of the structure, it's probably one of the best concert venues, view wise, anywhere. Everything you need to put on a world-class event there exists except one problem. It's located in the middle of a parking lot. That's what needs to change.”

“It's addressing the heat situation down there,” he continued. “That's what needs to be addressed so you can have events that can occur in the afternoon, in the day, and that can be done easily with grass trees, water features, different things. I look at Hart Plaza as one of the examples to look at and say, ‘Okay, here's somewhere that did it right.’”

Festival Plaza, seen on Jan. 10, 2024. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

Agostino said he didn't believe a canopy was the only option to provide shade, or relief from summertime heat for those visiting the plaza.

If Option 1 or 2 is approved by council, there will need to be an amendment to the Zoning and Official Plan By-laws as the canopy will exceed the allowed height.

If council approves Option 3, then administration will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for consulting services to complete the detailed design, which will include a final project cost estimate, with administration reporting back to council for final funding approval for the project.

“I don't want anything to take away from that view,” Ward 7 Coun. Angelo Marignani told CTV News.

Marignani hopes more consideration will be given to potential cooling options while encouraging prudence with taxpayer dollars.

“The City of Detroit uses tubs with trees, a low cost sort of way of getting that shade that's needed while beautifying the area with lifting foliage. So I mean, there's a lot of options to be to be looked at,” said Marignani.

He continued, “Especially with the Civic Esplanade Plaza coming into play. I mean, we should really look at saving some tax dollars and focusing on some of the priorities of the city. Our roads, our sewers, that sort of thing.”

Council will meet on Monday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m.

— With files from AM800