PHOTOS: Demolition Starts on Abandoned Erie Street Townhomes

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After months of delay and property issues, a series of boarded-up and burnt-out townhouses on Erie Street in the Midtown area of Downtown are finally being demolished under the City of Windsor’s blight mitigation strategy.

The City of Windsor’s Building Department is proceeding with demolition of an eight-unit townhouse building located at 501 Erie Street West between Bruce and Janette that has sat vacant for over half a decade and costs for demolition will be added to the taxes of the property owner.

Bylaw inspectors have paid 84 visits to the site since around 2005 and issued 12 building orders. Since then, the site has been boarded up and secured by the City to prevent illegal access and the potential for vandalism and fires such as one nearby at 411 Elliott in 2011 which cost the fire department $17,561.31.

Demolition was originally scheduled for Tuesday January 24th but site, legal and utility delays further pushed back the start of demolition.  The site was fenced off back in March and Windsor Police attended the townhomes multiple times for insecure doors and reports of people inside.  The mortgagee on the property who after claiming it from the absentee owner had asked the city to postpone demolition back in early April due to negotiations to sell the property.  The City set a new deadline of Thursday April 5th.  Nearly a month later, the property is finally being demolished.