PARKING SOLUTION
Mackenzie Hall lot reopened
A last-minute intervention by a cabinet minister in Queen’s Park reversed a decision by Infrastructure Ontario to close the parking lot at Mackenzie Hall for public use starting Thursday. Government Services Minister Todd Smith said the lot will remain open despite city officials being informed earlier this week by the province’s infrastructure ministry it was to be closed off pending sale of the former Windsor jail property, which includes the 32-space parking lot at Mackenzie Hall. “The minister has instructed Infrastructure Ontario to allow the continued use by the City of Windsor of the parking lot while the property is for sale,” said spokesperson Jessica Georgakopoulos. “We have instructed (the infrastructure ministry) to keep it open and remain open pending the sale. We also asked that any barriers be removed as soon as possible.” Cement barricades were put in place Thursday to block off the parking lot, which for several decades has been by used by the public for events at city-owned Mackenzie Hall even when the jail was still in operation.
The city received notice Oct. 23 from the province the parking lot would no longer be available to the public starting Thursday, said Ray Mensour, the city’s executive director of recreation and culture. The former Windsor jail site has been put up for sale in the past week for a dollar.
“We were just notified the public will no longer have access moving forward,” Mensour said. “For whatever reason they don’t want people using the lot while the property is for sale.”
But the mayor’s office and other city officials were busy on the phone Thursday and worked out a resolution, at least until a new buyer is in place for the jail site. “Kudos to the mayor’s office and to the ministers involved,” Mensour said. “They were extremely responsive and ordered the removal of the cement barricades. We are extremely thrilled for our users.” The city had quickly created two new handicap-accessible parking spaces in front of Mackenzie Hall if the parking lot was to remain closed. Visitors to the multi-use historic building were also about to be encouraged to use free parking spots primarily on Brock Street just west of the building. “Certainly this will be challenging (if the parking lot is closed) and of great concern for our (building ’s) users,” Mensour said. “They are used to accessing the lot that is there.”