Windsor Community Improvement Plan Review

Background

A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a tool that municipalities in Ontario regularly use to support community revitalization and economic development. CIPs can address a wide range of community priorities, such as downtown revitalization, affordable housing, environmental remediation, sustainability, redevelopment, and intensification, among others.

The City currently has seven (7) Community Improvement Plans, with the earliest being adopted in 2010. To learn more about the City’s CIPs and the grants offered under each CIP, please visit the City’s Development Incentives page and the Grant Program Overview documents on the right of this webpage. The City is now reviewing these plans to ensure that they continue to support the revitalization priorities of the community and can be implemented effectively (the “Project”).

This Project is being led by the City’s Planning Department, with support from WSP Canada Inc. and Parcel Economics Inc., who provide expertise in land use planning and fiscal analysis, respectively.

The Project will assess the existing CIPs, focusing on their effectiveness, identifying gaps, and recommending updates to align with current community needs and priorities. More specifically, the Project objectives are to:

• Assess the effectiveness of the current CIPs and identify areas for improvement;
• Recommend updates to policies and incentives that support the long-term revitalization of the community;
• Align the plans with current economic and community priorities;
• Incorporate public feedback from stakeholders, businesses, and residents; and
• Identify opportunities to streamline administration and program delivery.

Importantly, this Project will not directly result in updates to the City’s current CIPs but rather point to areas that may benefit from further review, such as details of the financial incentive programs or to which areas of the City the CIPs apply. The recommendations may inform future City-led initiatives to address these matters.

Project Timeline and Consultation

The CIP Review Project commenced in Fall 2024. Since that time, the project team, including WSP Canada Inc. and Parcel Economics Inc., has collaborated closely with City staff to conduct research and stakeholder engagement. The Project is expected to conclude in mid-2025 with the release of a final recommendations report, which will be made publicly available and presented to City Council.

Public and stakeholder engagement is a central component of the CIP Review. Planned consultation activities include:

• A virtual public open house;
• Interviews with peer municipalities and local stakeholders (e.g., Business Improvement Areas);
• A walking tour with City staff and consultants;
• A public survey; and
• Regular coordination with City staff and Council updates.

Work Completed to Date

As part of the CIP Review, the project team has completed a background review to understand how the City’s existing CIPs are working and where there may be opportunities for improvement. This work has included the following:

• A detailed review of each of Windsor’s CIPs;
• Workshops with City staff and consultations with a CIP working group (composed of City staff);
• Interviews with municipal staff, previous CIP applicants, and other key stakeholders;
• A public survey to gather community input;
• Research on best practices from other municipalities; and
• An analysis of financial tools, program outcomes, and return on investment

This preliminary work will help inform the draft recommendations. Following this feedback and input, the final recommendations will be prepared and presented to Council.