The City of Windsor has taken a step toward determining whether a historic venue is worth saving.
Despite a report indicating that there is no money in the capital budget for one, a divided Windsor City Council voted Monday night to authorize a two-phase feasibility study for renovating the bandshell at Jackson Park, a venue that had at one point been the outdoor focal point of the city's biggest events.
The motion, introduced by Ward 9 Councillor Kieran McKenzie, would include a feasibility study and a request for evaluating the site condition. It will also allow for public consultation with various groups.
The plan will also allow for talks to take place with the Greater Essex County District School Board, whose Kennedy Collegiate is adjacent to Jackson Park and currently owns the land the bandshell partially sits on.
McKenzie was joined by Councillors Fabio Costante, Fred Francis, Angelo Marignani, Gary Kaschak, and Jim Morrison in support. Mayor Drew Dilkens and the other four said no.
McKenzie had first brought up the idea of renovating the bandshell for community use last year.
Among the delegates who spoke in favour of renovating the bandshell was Windsor performer Leslie McCurdy, who called attention to the venue's place in the city's Black history. She also compared the proposal to similar venues that featured theatre in urban settings.
The current bandshell was completed in 1959, replacing one that was destroyed by fire. It was the city's main outdoor venue throughout the 1960s and 1970s and hosted events like the Emancipation Day Festival and Windsor's Battle of the Bands.
With councillors approving a study, they will now have to find a way to pay for it in the 2024 budget.
-with files from Adelle Loiselle