More to WFCU deal than just Memorial Cup parking, says Windsor mayor
Tentative deal for additional parking at WFCU has much more in store for the city, says Mayor Drew Dilkens
As city council inches toward solving the long-standing parking woes at the WFCU centre, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says a tentative agreement reached with a London developer includes much more than just temporary parking spaces.
Politicians met in a closed-door meeting Friday to discuss details of a possible deal that would open up a neighbouring private parking lot, owned by Shmuel Farhi, in order to add 800 spaces for visitors during the Memorial Cup.
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The frustrations with a lack of parking came to a boil last week when the city slapped 100 tickets on the windshields of vehicles parked on WFCU lawns as Windsor Spitfires fans struggled to find parking ahead of the Game 4 playoff battle with the London Knights.
Beyond getting temporary parking for the Memorial Cup, Dilkens confirmed the city is looking to buy a portion of land — about 15 acres — also owned by Farhi.
"This first little piece, making sure we can get through the short-term with the Memorial Cup, is really important," Dilkens said. "We promised to deliver the most memorable Memorial Cup ever and this was an essential piece in delivering on the customer experience part of it."
But the mayor also said there's another component to the deal that will illustrate how important this agreement is to the city once it's revealed.
"There's even another piece that I'm hoping I can share very soon," he said.