After 11 years and over four hours of debate at last night's Windsor City Council meeting the ground floor of the Pelissier St. Parking Gargage will be reverted back into parking spaces.
Mayor Drew Dilkens says they have given retail every opportunity to succeed so it is now time to move forward.
"I don't see anything different changing if we were to spend that money and I don't see anything different changing with the proposal that's been presented to us tonight to warrant that half million investment to renovate the space," says Mayor Drew Dilkens.
The Downtown Business Improvement Association presented a proposal that included True Fitness Gym moving into the space and Windsor Pride expanding.
DWBIA Chair Larry Horwitz was very emotional after the vote and says he has lost complete confidence in this council.
"Council made a terrible decision and went against it's official plan by allowing a themed street to becoming a parking lot," he says. "It's an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars."
He's concerned the lack of retail space will create a dead zone that will spread to other areas of the block and downtown.
Downtown business owners, urban planners, and the original architect of the structure spoke against removing the retail space.
Current tenants will have six months to vacate the premises before the conversion takes place. It will cost around $500,000 to convert the space into approximately 50 parking spaces.
