The City of Windsor will investigate the feasibility of using the former Windsor Arena for a transitional housing facility.
The Village at the Barn concept is modelled on a similar program in Minneapolis. Early estimates indicate the project could cost up to $60 million to complete.
At Monday's council meeting, councillors instructed City of Windsor administration to start preliminary discussions with other funding partners and investigate the current condition of the Barn.
"What we need is information, in order to continue to make the decisions that are in front of us, if we are actually going to proceed with this, including the site condition, including the idea of how those services are going to consolidate on that location," said Councillor Kieran McKenzie.
The report will include a site evaluation of the Barn indicating what remediation is required before the building can be utilized for the project. It will also include an estimate for annual operating costs.
Councillors also requested an estimate for demolition costs.
The report is expected by Spring 2027.
"We've got to get to this problem yesterday. Anything that delays this project is not an option when it comes to the situation that we're dealing with out on our streets in our downtown and as many of you know, happening in your neighbourhoods, on your street corners," said Councillor Renaldo Agostino.
