Ambassador Bridge wants to demolish homes, urges council with sign campaign

More than 200 lawn signs have shown up, urgingcity council to allow Ambassador Bridge to tear down the remaining homes they own, which arein poor condition due to disuse and neglect.

The signs put up by the bridge company are in neighbourhoods around Edison Street, Brock Street and Felix Avenue, near where the homes are located.

"I want to bring awareness to the situation," said Hunter Kersey, director of safety and security for the Ambassador Bridge.

The signs were his idea. They read"Clean up our community. City Council, demolish these houses."

Safety concern

In a letter, the City of Windsor said the homes are subject to the city's demolition control bylaw and the company will need to obtain approval from council for an exemption before they can get the demolition permits.

Kersey saidhe's frustrated.

He thinks the houses pose a danger to the public, saying that people with drug addictions use drugs at those locations.

Kersey saidhe was pushed to action after a little girl was stuck by a needle left on the ground at the former Forster High School, which the bridge also owns.

"My biggest worry is a child getting poked with a needle, and that's community-wide. It doesn't just have to do with these houses."

Plans for a ring road?

Ward 2 councillorcandidate Fabio Costante agrees with tearing down the houses, but saidthere should be conditions.

"Yes, let's clean up theneighbourhood. But the bridge company needs to provide a plan on what they intend to do with that land," said Costante.

And incumbent John Elliott wants to see any plans before deciding whether to allow demolition.

He denies the bridge company just wants to build a ring road to connect the bridge to the Herb Gray Parkway.

"Are we going to push a ring road through? Or am I going to push to put a ring road through? No. It's not even a plan that's on the table right now," said Kersey.

He said they're working with the community to either create a farmers' market or Victorian gardens on the site. And a plan is going to city council.

The bridge company originally bought the homes anticipating they would need the land to connect the bridge to the E.C. Row Expressway. They say that plan is now dead.