Neighbours cheer as third burnt building demolished

When demolition crews began work inside the burned-out El-mayor restaurant Wednesday, area businesses applauded the third cleanup of a blighted building in the last two weeks.

“It’s really great for the neighbourhood. I had a BIA (business improvement association) meeting last night and it’s one of the things on our wish list,” Wyandotte Towne Centre BIA vice-chairman Larry Horwitz said of the demolition of El-mayor, destroyed in a spectacular fire in January that caused $1.2 million in damage.

It’s one of three fire-ravaged former restaurants that turned into eyesores and a source of neighbour complaints in the Wyandotte Street East neighbourhood. The Al-sultan on Glengarry Avenue just south of Wyandotte Street East burned down in March, sustaining $600,000 in damage in a fire that investigators said was intentionally set. Le Chef Restaurant, at 840 Wyandotte St. E., was destroyed by fire in 2016 and vagrants turned its remains into a “drug den,” business owners said. Both buildings were demolished last week.

The Le Chef building was demolished by its new owner, Seiko Homes, a local home builder which had recently purchased the site with highly anticipated plans for a four-storey commercial/residential project with 24 apartments.

Horwitz credited the City of Windsor with cracking down on the burned-out properties, particularly the El-mayor site.

“I think there was a strong hand of the city on this one,” he said. “They understand you can’t have a building burn down and let it sit there for a year or two and have it really affect the area.”

Rob Vani, the city’s deputy chief building official, said the city was getting lots of complaints about all three properties. With recent progress at all three locations, staff in the building department were joking this week that Christmas had come early.

“With Le Chef and Al-sultan down on the ground already, and a very positive development planned for Le Chef, and with El-mayor under demolition now, we’re very happy to see there’s some progress in dealing with some of the more blighted buildings we had on Wyandotte,” said Vani.

He explained that fires are the most difficult enforcement files his department deals with because there are so many moving parts to contend with. There can be issues with ownership (the Le Chef property changed hands several times in quick succession), insurance companies and the interests of tenants.

“There’s a lot we have to weigh when we’re doing enforcement and how much to push with these things,” he said. At the same time, there’s pressure from local politicians, the BIA and neighbouring businesses to move quickly.

“I’m just happy we’re definitely seeing some progress with these things,” Vani said.

City officials issued an order for repair of demolition shortly after the popular El-mayor was ravaged by fire in early January and were working closely with the owners until a couple of months ago, Vani said, when things seemed to be stalling. The city took the owners to court, but shortly before a Monday court appearance, the owners obtained a demolition permit, he said.

He said the city has to phase in the permits because of some complications involving utility companies like Enwin needing to disconnect from the property. “The owner was intent on at least starting the demolition,” so the interior demolition was green-lighted with the expectation that the building will be entirely demolished some time in the new year.

The current owner doesn’t intend on redeveloping the land, said Vani. “What you’ll see there is a vacant parcel of property.”

The El-mayor owners couldn’t be reached on Wednesday.

Horwitz said he’s heard the property will be put up for sale as a vacant lot and that there are “some people very interested” in buying and developing it. Area businesses are hoping for a new development similar to what’s planned for the Le Chef property. It will be the first brand new building built along the commercial stretch in decades.

Vani said he wouldn’t be surprised if the El-mayor property is also redeveloped.

“I think with the incentives the city has, I don’t expect it to be in the hands of the current owners for very long if they decide to sell it.”