I thought that it was very nice of The Windsor Star editorial board to give Dr. Ross Paul nearly a third of a page in this Saturday's Star. Paul, without even a hint of disguise, makes his pitch for a suburban campus for both the new school of Engineering and the medical campus.
Paul makes a profound blunder when he states "Within the City of Windsor, where we build is less important to all concerned than how we build." (Those are his italics, not mine!) If this is the new mantra of the University of Windsor, then shame on them for their poor corporate and academic citizenship. It is absolutely ridiculous to think that the location of the largest academic institution in Windsor, and, if all goes according to plan, the most technologically advanced piece of architecture built in my short lifetime, can be mitigated by adding more technological bling. Where does Paul get off in marginalizing those of us who have been advocating for a downtown campus at the U of W? Many people do not realize that the city had a magnificent plan for an urban village (whether a new village or recreation of what was already torn down is for another day) and the administration, who only rarely get kudos on this blog, was willing to set aside years of planning to have the University anchor its' core. For Paul to say that location is less important shows his complete ignorance in urban planning, city development and manufactured social structures. Even my real estate agent tells me that it is location, location, location.
Rest assured, we're going to oppose the U of W at every turn as it continues its' campaign to "prove" to Windsor that it does not need a downtown campus. In reality, a couple of million dollars invested now will return gains to the city like we've never seen before. To the city administration I say, what's a couple of million for a University when we wasted $65 million on an arena? Open up the city cophers and get this University built downtown. The increase in property values (read: increased property taxes) will more than offset the cost of funding the shortfalls in the building budget.
Look for more on this topic as we continue to fight for a real change in Windsor. If you are a U of W alumni, student, etc., please make your opposition to the plan to build outside of the city core known to the administration.
2 comments:
Your real estate agent is telling Ross Paul that it's "Location, location, location" as well. Maybe the melding of college and university campuses is all wrong anyway. What the city should do with that trac of land is to JUST DO IT! Find a developer who is willing to build a proper "Urban Village" as you call it. That is what you call "Hard Goods". "Soft Goods" such as satellite educational campuses are at best temporary filler. As soon as economics dictate, those educational institutions will "pull back" to core operations which is what any responsible and intelligent business op would do(Don't be surprised if Chrysler breaks their lease either). Anyway...Who knows...Maybe you should watch for the big carrot. The city sure is cringing for any filler it can get.
Good call anonymous. That has been a pretty tough place for me to be in personally. I followed the Urban Village proposal from Jimmy Yanchula and crew for a long time. I think that, above all else, that would be the best option for the downtown. I also know the power of an educated class downtown. Part of the perception of Windsor is the lack of educated, middle class citizens to sustain it. If we can alter the perception, whether through a University campus or urban village, that downtown is more than a collection of abandoned buildings and abandoned people we might have a chance at some real change. Any city who abandons it's own core, whether people or property, is in for a real tragic wakeup call.
I don't claim to have all the answers or even the right answers. I just claim to have an opinion.
BTW: Check out some of the comments at The Municpal Shadow
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