401 Riverside Drive West under construction.
401 Riverside Drive West under construction.
401 Riverside Drive West under construction.
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Museum Expansion Project
2014 - 2016
The Recreation and Culture Department of the City of Windsor is moving forward with improvements to the City's Community Museum. This project includes storage and exhibit space improvements at the Francois Baby House (254 Pitt Street West) and expansion of the museum to occupy the first floor of 401 Riverside Drive West, formerly occupied by the Art Gallery of Windsor (AGW). The AGW does and will continue to occupy the second and third floors of 401 Riverside Drive West.
Project Highlights
Some improvements expected for 401 Riverside Drive West include:
A new, permanent, engaging exhibit on Windsor
Exhibition/programming space with a proposed theme of First Nations/Original Peoples
Efficient auditorium/programming/temporary gallery space
A new Children's Gallery with dynamic exhibits and interactivity created from the former gift shop and art rental and sales space
Development of exhibition/display space in the Concourse
Development of retail space in the southwest area of the Concourse
Development of temporary exhibit/programming space in the former restaurant area
Modification of the entrance way
Improvements to the infrastructure to preserve and protect the collections, including, but not limited to HVAC system improvements; security system updates; IT and telephone system upgrades; and conversion to LED lighting
Creation of additional storage space through restructuring the mezzanine, and repurposing the former gift shop storage room into artefact storage
Some improvements expected for the François Baby House include:
Converting the children's activity area to visible storage space
Development of a permanent gallery on Francophone Heritage
Development of a permanent gallery on the War of 1812, the Battle of Windsor, and the history of the Baby House
Expansion of space in the Francois Baby House to showcase the Museum's archives
Steering Committee
- City Councillor R. Bortolin
- City Councillor F. Francis
- City Councillor J Gignac (Chair)
- Arbitrator - Chief Administrative Officer Helga Reidel
Executive Committee
- Jelena Payne, Community Development & Health Services Commissioner and Project Sponsor
- Jan Wilson, Executive Director of Recreation & Culture
- France Isabelle-Tunks, Senior Manager of Development & Geomatics
- Shelby Askin-Hager, City Solicitor
- Tom Graziano, Manager of Facility Operations
- Onorio Colucci, City Treasurer
Working Team
- Colleen Middaugh, Project Administrator; Project Manager
- Madelyn DellaValle, Curator, Windsor's Community Museum; Project Manager (Exhibitions)
- Cathy Masterson, Manager of Cultural Affairs
- Hariri Pontarini Architects (HPA), Architect
- Lord Cultural Resources, Exhibit Consultant
- Josie Gualtieri (Liza Webb), Financial Planning Administrator, Finance
- Jill Braido, Communications and Customer Service
- Matt Caplin, IT
- Administrative Resource: Leslie Prieur (Working Team and Executive Committee; Karen Kadour (Steering Committee)
- Sandra Bradt, Executive Initiatives Coordinator
- Mike Smithson, Facilities
- Elaine Castellan, Purchasing
Important Documents
Council Reports / Meeting Agendas and Minutes
Completed Project Steps
Project Management & Design
Finalization and submission of the grant application.
Striking Committee approval for Steering Committee.
Finalization of the Project Charter - approved June 30, 2014 by M284-2014.
Site visit to Waterloo Regional Museum to discuss their museum development project.
Award of contract for Architectural Consulting Services and Exhibition Planning Services (RFP39-14) - Hariri Pontarini Architects and Lord Cultural Resources.
Ongoing Consulting/Design services, including:
Visioning sessions with project team members.
Development and presentation of conceptual design plans and exterior renderings.
Consultation with the Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor Accessibility & Advisory Committee, members of the Aboriginal and Francophone Communities, various stakeholders and the public.
Architectural, mechanical, structural and electrical design development.
Exhibit development, based on the approved Interpretive Plan and Concept Design for the exhibitions.
Ongoing internal project management of design/construction works/exhibit installation.
Building Construction
- Completed security system upgrades at 401 Riverside Drive West.
- Issued a Request for Pre-Qualification of Contractors and reviewed submissions.
- Finalized the Tender Drawings and Specifications for the building renovation works.
- Issued a Request for Tender (No. 108-14) to the Pre-Qualified Contractors for the building renovation work and awarded the contract to Oscar Construction Company Limited.
- Hosted the Construction Kick-off Ceremony (Friday October 17, 2014).
- Construction Progress Includes:
- Completion of interior demolition.
- Completion of mechanical and electrical building system improvements (including HVAC improvements, and new lighting upgrades).
- Completion of interior work (finishes, flooring, millwork, framing, etc.).
- Completion of exterior work (canopy painting, door painting, etc.).
- Completion of new passenger elevator installation.
- Removal of interior and exterior hoarding.
- Ongoing work on finalizing As-Built Drawings, Maintenance Manuals and addressing remaining outstanding deficiencies.
Exhibit Fabrication
- Issued a Request for Pre-Qualification of Exhibition Fabricators and reviewed submissions.
- Finalized the Tender Drawings and Specifications for the exhibition fabrication works.
- Issued a Request for Tender (No. 3-15) to the Pre-Qualified Contractors for the exhibition fabrication work and awarded the contract to Holman Exhibits.
- Site visit to Holman's office/warehouse to review prototypes and fabrication progress.
- Exhibit development, including content and design review.
- Ongoing exhibit installation.
Next Project Steps
- Summer 2015 - Building renovations complete.
- Late 2015 - Exhibit fabrication and installation complete.
- January 15, 2016 - Start of new Museum Operations, including Chimczuk and Maison Francois Baby House sites.
- February 18, 2016 - Grand Opening of Chimczuk Museum.
Museum Expansion Project in the News
- Windsor's Community Museum re-opens with Francophone exhibit, OurWindsor.ca, December 2015.
- New museum exhibit celebrates Windsor's French-Canadian roots, The Windsor Star, December 2015.
- Expanded space almost ready for new museum, The Windsor Star, August 2015.
- Museum Windsor Expansion and Construction Update, City of Windsor YouTube Video, August 2015.
- 'Museum Windsor' rebuilding moving along at The Art Gallery, Windsorite.ca, August 2015.
- Committee seeks to rebrand museum as part of expansion, The Windsor Star, July 2015.
- Admission fees to Windsor museum and art gallery pitched, CBCNews Windsor, June 2015.
- Chimczuk museum dream finally approved 24 years later, The Windsor Star, June 2015.
- Chimczuk museum becomes reality at Windsor art gallery, CBCNews Windsor, June 2015.
- Windsor finally using Chimczuk funds, Blackburn News, June 2015.
- Community Museum Expansion Construction Update # 2, City of Windsor, YouTube Video, April 2015.
- Francois Baby House community museum closes down for renovations, The Windsor Star, March 2015.
- If the WFCU Centre needed a new scoreboard..., The Windsor Star, March 2015.
- New museum budget may be scaled back, The Windsor Star, February 2015.
- Community Museum Expansion Construction Update # 1, City of Windsor, YouTube Video, January 2015.
- Windsor museum expansion underway, AM800, October 2014.
- Museum expansion construction kickoff, City website, October 2014.
- Windsor A to Zed, The Windsor Star, October 2014.
- Exhibit planning for Windsor Museum, Blackburn News, July 2014.
- Get a look at new Windsor Community Museum tonight, CBC News, July 2014.
- Museum, art gallery to share common entrance. The Windsor Star, June 2014.
- Museum receives Federal grant. Blackburnnews.com, April 2014.
- Civic museum to move into art gallery. CBC News, April 2013.
- City approves $6.2M museum expansion at AGW building. The Windsor Star, November 2013.
- Museum moving into the Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsorite.ca. November 2013.
Project Key Stakeholders and Partners
- Mayor and City Council
- The Corporation of the City of Windsor
- Recreation and Culture Department
- Art Gallery of Windsor
- Windsor's Community Museum
- Construction and Trades Industry
- Windsor Historic Sites Association
Project Partners - Consultant Team
- Hariri Pontarini Architects (HPA)
- Lord Cultural Resources
Project Partners - Construction Team
Building Renovations
- Oscar Construction Company Limited
Exhibit Fabrication/Installation
Project Contacts
Committee Chair
Jelena Payne
Project Sponsor, Community Development & Health Services Commissioner
Madelyn Della Valle
Project Manager, Exhibitions; Curator, Windsor's Community Museum
Phone: 519-253-1812. Email: mdellavalle@citywindsor.ca
(Including French interviews)
Museum Windsor
254 Pitt Street West
Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9A 5L5
Phone: For general information, call 311.
For detailed inquiries, please call (519) 253-1812.