The decision to move forward with refurbishing the Jackson Park Bandshell was deferred again after over an hour of discussion at Windsor City Council Monday.
After 10 delegates spoke to council, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens requested council move in-camera so that he could share new information that may help to form council's decision.
The decision to re-issue a request for proposals for the feasibility study to complete the refurbishment of the bandshell was then deferred.
After city council, Dilkens told reporters that the former Windsor Stadium property has been listed for sale for future housing development.
"We need to work through that particular process because obviously a housing development, the prospect of a housing development, on the Windsor Stadium site would necessarily impact what you may or may not do with the old bandshell," said Dilkens.
Dilkens said the City of Windsor could purchase the lands to be included in the Housing Solutions Made for Windsor plan.
"It makes a lot of sense to incorporate into the Jackson Park piece that we already own. At the end of the day though, if it's only for housing purposes we need to figure out whether it's something we need to do as a function of Housing Solutions Made for Windsor, are we best to take that property and work through the process? Or do we just let it go to the private sector and do what they're going to do?" said Dilkens.
The city issued a request for proposals to complete a study on refurbishing the bandshell and set a budget for $120,000 in November 2024. The city received one response and it was not within the allocated budget.
The bandshell dates back to 1959. It replaced an earlier one that had been destroyed in a fire. It was once the host of the city's Emancipation Day celebrations and many musical greats. In recent years, it has fallen into disrepair.