Located between the busiest border crossing in North America and a new international bridge that has not yet been opened, Windsor’s Sandwich Town faces uncertainty about the cusp of change, but residents expect growth and economic revitalization.
“I hope the bridge really brings people who want to come to this area,” said Krystal Lynn Ouellette.
The Sandwich resident has grown and lived in different pockets of the historical neighborhood in the last 20 years and says that he has seen him become a rich community in history to one linked, with many houses addressed.
“It looks like poor neighborhood. That’s what it is. It is a beautiful area, but it doesn’t reflect that.”
The 35 -year -old has the hope that the International Bridge Gordie Howe, who has been under construction since 2018, be a catalyst for change in sandwich.
Like other residents who talked to CBC, he is concerned about Lack of a grocery store and basic services In the city, such as the Post Office, the Service Station and essential businesses.
“I hope you bring the area more for us,” he said, referring to services such as a dance study or more community centers.
“It would be good to bring some kind of residential commercial area: a memories store or a historical society or a gallery that reflects our rich history, … since we will have more traffic, they may have more reason to do it.”
Although the main street of the neighborhood, Sandwich Street, has suffered a transformation as a result of the bridge project, Ouellette said the community “is not close” to be ready with its current infrastructure to become the entrance door to Canada.
“The greatest impact with the opening of Gordie Howe will probably be like the main streets here. They are not really structured for busy traffic … Gordie’s disadvantage would be now, we can’t cross the road.”
The mother of the two of two is concerned about the potential increase in local traffic that becomes a nuisance for children trying to cross the street. She said the busy Street Sandwich already has a problem with people who run stop signals.
In the future, Ouellette, as dozens of other residents with whom CBC News spoke, wants more stop signs, more pedestrian crossings and “better application” of traffic rules.
Bridge connects 2 roads to avoid local roads
Heather Grondin is the director of relations of Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Crown Corporation that supervises the project.
She said in a written statement that the Bridge project has been “designed to allow free flow traffic.”
Unlike the Ambassador bridge, which brings constant truck traffic through the city in Huron Church Road, the new border crossing connects two roads: Highway 401 and the I-75 of Ontario in Detroit. Grondin says he will eliminate the need for trucks to use local roads.
“The city of Windsor is responsible for the use of trucks in Sandwich Street.
The resident expects Bridge to provide investments
Before buying your home in Sandwich Street, three minutes by car from the new bridge, in February 2018, Tyler Dwayne McMenemy “had prejudices” about moving there.
That stigma, he said, was soon destroyed, but he worries that Sandwich can still be seen as “in poor condition.”
The bridge was a reason, he said, to buy a house there, since he raided the way for economic revitalization.
“Every time a property is close to something important like the university, it cannot be a bad investment. It will always maintain at least,” he said.
“But with the bridge entering, there will certainly be money poured into the area by increasing the values of the properties.”
McMnemy hopes that the city will continue with its beautification process for the neighborhood.
“Every time there is an important border cross between two countries in a neighborhood, it would be the best for the city to pour money in that neighborhood because that will be the first impression of many people throughout the country,” he said.
“The Gordie Howe will certainly bring a lot of traffic. The first impressions are everything, so they do not want people to have a negative experience in the whole country when they enter something they can see as a bit moody.”
Before the bridge opens, he said he would want the streets and roads “full” full of potholes to stay.
“I have crushed my prejudices due to living here. But if people only drive, they might think that things are a little arrested. They see all abandoned houses and might think of Sandwich a little more negatively.”
Positive impacts ‘already visible:’ bridge authority
The bridge has a fund of $ 23 million for projects to benefit the community, which was divided equally between the sides of Windsor and Detroit.
Grondin said the direct positive impacts of the bridge “are already visible” in the community of sandwiches.
She made reference to the re -urbanization of Sandwich Street, which saw the reconstruction of more than three kilometers from the road from the Rosedale Avenue roundabout to the bridge.
“The work involved the installation of new stormwater sewers, sidewalks, street surface, new bicycle lanes and the construction of a multiple asphalt use,” he said.
The project benefits plan also invested $ 1 million in improvements within the Sandwich Bia district, said, including landscaping, landscape and collection spaces to create a vibrant area for residents and visitors.
Grondin said many projects in Sandwich have been or are being delivered in collaboration with more than 80 members.
“The Gordie Howe International Bridge offers new opportunities for Sandwich Town and its residents. The project has already invested in improvements within the BIA Sandwich, in parks in neighborhoods, trails and cultural projects,” he said.
“We are proud to be part of this historical community and expect residents to be proud of this new inspiring milestone.”
As for when the bridge will open, Grondin could not provide a date.
“As with any important construction project, at this stage, it is too early to offer a specific opening date for the Gordie Howe International Bridge,” he said.
