New blood pumps up downtown’s urban heart
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Area’s new chairman loves street festivals and he loves the street closures that get residents and visitors into the outdoors to celebrate in the city’s core. “But when people come downtown for an event, I want them to see more than the festival,” Brian Yeomans said. “I want them to see what’s behind — and if there’s nothing there, why come downtown?” The goal of getting more residents, more shops and more visitors into Windsor’s urban heart is nothing new for the DWBIA, but there’s now a completely new DWBIA to continue that mission. All six elected members on the 2019-2022 board are first-time directors. Member-at-large Pat Papadeas, of Rose City Politics, is the new vice-chair, while bar and nightclub director Bryan Datoc, of Craft Heads Brewing Company, is the new treasurer. Longtime DWBIA leader Larry Horwitz, in his new capacity as past chair, and Ward 3’s Rino Bortolin, as city council representative, are the only old hands returning to the eight-member board. Since moving to the city in 1992, Yeomans, 46, has spent nearly his entire adult professional life working in downtown Windsor, with the core also being his home for the past five years. With a business background in the core’s nightlife scene, including 10 years at the defunct Koko Pellie’s and as a part-owner of the former Mick’s Irish Pub, he is currently the business development manager for two downtown hotels — Best Western Plus Waterfront and Holiday Inn Express Windsor Waterfront. “I love the downtown and always have — to be involved and to be part of it, this is an exciting opportunity,” he said of his newest assignment.
Asked what message the downtown business community was sending in electing an entirely new DWBIA board, Yeomans said in an interview Thursday night that it shouldn’t signal a rejection of what was there before. “There’s a group of like-minded individuals now sitting on the board who want to make a difference — that’s not a negative,” he told the Star. No different than the previous board, “we want to see more retail and more people coming downtown (to live).” But after a period when the former DWBIA leadership was sometimes confronting leadership at city hall, the political dynamics may be in for a shift following local elections.
“We’ve seen change in city council and we’ve seen change in the BIA — I think the two can work very well together,” said Yeomans. Craft brewer Datoc is just one of the new DWBIA directors reflecting the changing face of downtown Windsor. Other new board members include David Prantera of Bread Meats Bread and Stephanie Clark of Toasty’s Grilled Cheese & Salad Bar.
“What does that tell you? These are newcomers to the core, and they want to see more of that,” said Yeomans.
Under the longtime BIA stewardship of Horwitz, a millionaire landowner known for bold and innovative ideas but also for sometimes being at odds with Windsor mayors, the downtown transitioned from its Sin City reputation — crowded with kiddie bars and strip joints — to a more balanced urban district with an international culinary flavour and a growing post-secondary education presence. “What I’d like to see are more places for the people who live downtown, places they can walk to and grab groceries or get other things they need,” said Yeomans. With fewer residential vacancies in the core, he said he wants the outside business community to know that “a lot of people are living in the downtown.” Asked what he’d like to see in the downtown, if he could make it happen tomorrow, he responds: “A bookstore.” With the growing presence in the core of St. Clair College and the University of Windsor, “we have students galore, but not one bookstore.”
As for details of where he’d like to see the DWBIA go next, Yeomans begged off, saying he’d been on the job as chairman less than 24 hours. The next priority is getting a budget completed by the end of March, and he wants the new board to develop a new strategic plan. Asked about the state of Windsor’s downtown, Yeomans responds: “I like to say it’s a work in progress — a lot of great things are happening.” He sees a community improvement plan sparking new commercial and residential growth in the core and builders who love Windsor implementing plans that will make a difference.
“I walk by the former Fish Market and Loop building every day, and it’s breathtaking — I see it and it makes me smile,” he said. He wants to see more “catalyst” developments like the historic property being readied to house up to 100 tech workers with Quicken Loans. The other new DWBIA directors are Liam O’Donnell of Dr. Disc Records, representing retail, and Geoff Zanetti of Villains Pub Inc., representing commercial property owners and developers. Engaged to be married this year, Yeomans said his new duties as DWBIA chairman mean taking time off from one of his other loves — acting. He’s been a regular on the local stage, including performances with Theatre Alive and Windsor Light Music Theatre.