Heritage Designation Sought For Former Downtown Electric Streetcar Barns

Hello time traveller!!
This article is 4285 days old.
The information listed below is likely outdated and has been preserved for archival purposes.

A former Railway Car Barn on University Avenue West currently being studied under a strategy to redevelop ‘brownfield’ lands in the City of Windsor may soon ascend to protected Heritage Act status.

Property owners George Sofos, Van Niforos, Charles Faubert and Veronica Faubert intend to transform the property into a cultural hub, including a second location for Windsor’s The Penalty Box, an urban farm, educational centre and tourist destination.

A 3,000 square foot green house is planned for the rear of the property which will grow produce for the restaurant. The greenhouse area will be open to the public and will serve as an urban agricultural education facility.

The Barn is an old repair and storage facility for the Sandwich, Windsor & Amherstburg Railway Company, and has sat relatively unused for a number of years.

Due to the history of the site — which was a key component of Windsor’s original electric streetcar system — the owners have asked for the property to be designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The building has stood for over 120 years as a “long-standing landmark on University Avenue West” according to a City report. If no objections to the designation are received within thirty days, City Council may formally designate the property and protect it under the Ontario Heritage Act.