Windsor City Council Launches Expropriation of Derelict West-End Properties for Renewal

WINDSOR, ON — The City of Windsor formally filed statutory applications Thursday afternoon under the Expropriations Act (RSO 1990, c. E.26) to acquire title to long-standing vacant and blighted commercial properties situated along the University Avenue West and Sandwich Street redevelopment corridors.

Municipal Land Assembly and Community Improvement Plans

The expropriation filing executes directives approved unanimously by Windsor City Council to advance the West End Community Improvement Plan (CIP). The targeted properties, which have sat vacant and unmaintained for over a decade despite repeated property standards enforcement orders, will be assembled with adjacent municipal land to construct a mixed-income residential development and an integrated neighborhood community health hub.

Mayor Drew Dilkens stated that the city will not allow absentee property speculators to hold back neighborhood revitalization and community safety.

Legal Procedures and Fair Market Compensation

Under statutory expropriation guidelines, property owners will receive independent appraisals and full market-value compensation alongside relocation allowances, subject to review by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) if valuations are disputed.

Neighborhood business associations and community residents commended the council's decisive action, noting that eliminating blighted buildings is vital for corridor revitalization near the University of Windsor.

Inquiry and Vesting Timetable

Property owners have 30 days to request a statutory Inquiry Hearing on the necessity of the taking before the land formally vests with the municipal corporation in late autumn.