Architectural designs requested for Adventure Bay wall

by Shelbey Hernandez

Windsor residents are looking to spruce up their view by creating an architectural design on the exterior west-facing wall of the adventure Bay Family Water Park.

Residents living in the area of University Avenue West to the river banded by Church Street and Karen Avenue created a group about two months ago called the City Centre West Neighbourhood Association. The group consists of approximately 20 people who want to tackle the issues of the area, including the issue of how the outside wall will be decorated.

Don Sadler, the project manager of the water park, said usually exterior walls are decorated with building wrap which often has to be replaced roughly every five years. The architectural design would add cost efficiency to its aesthetic value.

One of the main concerns was if the different materials such as stucco and styrofoam could be attached to the wall without causing damage. However, Sadler has discussed the issue with Vicwest, the manufacturing company for the wall panels, and they said they would send some materials over which would be attached to a panel. This panel would be attached to the original wall and the architectural designs could be attached to that panel.

“So I think now we are in a position where we can design something that’s pretty attractive and have a longer time span too,” said Sadler. “We do know that the life span of building wrap is short, but I think now we can head toward something more permanent that can last quite a while.”

Sadler said putting building wrap on that wall could have caused problems because the sun would be directly on it and could warp the material. This new idea, he said, will be good for the community.

The issue of the wall was brought up by Barbara Macedonski, a member of the City Centre West Neighbourhood Association at a city council meeting Feb. 21. She said she wants a mural that will be different from the rest of Windsor and create an aesthetically pleasing view for her community.

“We want it to be low key, we want it to be classy and we preferred, as an organization, to have it more architecturally appealing as opposed to having paintings,” said Macedonski. “It would be more architectural, it would be more geometric and it’s more architecturally different. A mural is a very busy picture. We want it very simple, creative and more of an architectural geometric.”

The neighbourhood association is still waiting for a response from city council. Sadler said the steering committee all approved of the idea, but they can’t officially approve it until the material is tested accordingly.