Tilbury Capital Partner Jack Federer, University of Windsor Students’ Alliance President Ghallia Hashem, University of Windsor Vice-President, Finance & Operations Gillian Heisz, Tilbury Capital Partner Michael Kaye, Teeple Architects President Stephen Teeple, University of Windsor Chancellor Mary Jo Haddad, University of Windsor President Robert Gordon and University of Windsor Vice-President, Student Experience Shetina Jones participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking at the future site of the new student residence on the University of Windsor campus on Monday, June 19, 2023. (Photo courtesy of the University of Windsor)
WINDSOR, Ont. — With shovels in hand, members from the University of Windsor and Tilbury Capital ushered in a new future for housing on campus and in the local community Monday.
During an event to mark the official groundbreaking of the new student residence, University of Windsor President Robert Gordon said the project will enhance the student experience and address a critical need for housing in Windsor.
"The new student residence will be a beacon of inspiration for our future students in the years to come,” Dr. Gordon said. “As a locally grounded, globally connected University community, we are also an institution for the Windsor-Essex region, meaning we have capacity to help transform the housing landscape in Windsor for a better future.”
The six-storey student residence will include 452 beds, including 68 barrier-free beds, distributed across 226 suites with shared bathrooms (2:1 student-to-bathroom ratio), and 12 private residence life suites. Spanning an impressive 150,000 square feet, the project has been thoughtfully designed to cater to the needs of students offering important amenities including six community lounges, a house lounge, shared laundry facility, and a 275-seat food hall.
Conveniently located on Sunset Avenue, between Wyandotte Street West and Union Street, the state-of-the-art residence will be strategically positioned to welcome Lancers ahead of the Fall 2025 semester. This transformative initiative is made possible through a dynamic public-private partnership with Tilbury Capital, a real estate investment and development company with a focus on purpose-built student accommodation.
“As we put shovels in the ground, this marks the beginning of the excitement and impact that this transformative project will bring to the University, the region, and most notably future University of Windsor students for decades to come,” said Michael Kaye, partner at Tilbury Capital.
"Creating a win-win outcome for all stakeholders has been immensely rewarding for our team and, as an alumnus, it has been extremely purposeful to have the opportunity to return to Windsor and collaborate on such a vital venture.”
Presently, the university accommodates students in three residence buildings— Alumni Hall, Cartier Hall and Laurier Hall. Each year, these buildings welcome between 150 to 350 students, in addition to the thousands residing in private, off-campus rental accommodations.
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