Work To Start This Summer To Close UWindsor’s Busiest Road

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A sample of a new pod on Sunset. It will feature a variety of seating, lower tables at the front with higher tables at the back to accommodate various sizes of groups. There will be electricity available in these areas for students to plug in and recharge devices as needed. (Image from UWindsor)

The University of Windsor’s Board of Governors have approved stage one of a new Campus Master plan, which included the closure of Sunset Avenue.

Sunset Avenue will be closed from Wyandotte to just north of Fanchette.  A  cul-­de-­sac which will accommodate both turnaround and drop-­off on Sunset was best situated at the north end of Chrysler Hall off of University Avenue.  The cul-­de-­sac will be two lanes with a drop-­off area to the north on the east side to allow vehicles and pedestrians to safely access this area.

Fanchette Avenue will close to vehicular traffic at the same time as Sunset Avenue, with the exception of emergency, construction and service vehicles. Bollards will be placed at the entrance to California Avenue and the access point will support pedestrian traffic.

Sunset Avenue will receive a new surface treatment and the existing sidewalks on the east and west side of the street will be removed and replaced with green space and “pods” for seating areas and collaborative spaces.

The pods on the east side of the street will be minimalistic seating with bike racks and high level lighting along this side of the street.

The west side will feature a variety of seating, lower tables at the front with higher tables at the back to accommodate various sizes of groups. There will be electricity available in these areas for students to plug in and recharge devices as needed. The space will also be well-lit and will provide a welcoming space for collaboration and socializing.

The intersection of Sunset and Wyandotte will have bollards placed immediately at the end of Sunset so traffic will not be enticed to enter this area. The bollards will still allow emergency vehicles to enter.

Plans also call for the removal of several parking lots, but those areas will not be developed in this phase.

Total cost is estimated at $4,987,000 .

Work is planned to start at the end of August or start of September with completion hoped for the end of December.