Iona College on Sunset Ave. at the University of Windsor. (Photo courtesy of Google.ca/maps)Iona College on Sunset Ave. at the University of Windsor. (Photo courtesy of Google.ca/maps)
Windsor

Fate of Historic Windsor Home Debated by City Council

The future of a west Windsor house is in the hands of City Council.

Council is expected to discuss at its Monday night meeting a plan to designate the Iona College-Stuart MacDonald House on Sunset Ave as a heritage property, despite efforts by the University of Windsor to tear it down.

Council`s planning, heritage and economic development standing committee voted in November to recommend declaring the house as a heritage property.

The house was first built in 1924 and sits on a section of Sunset Ave near the U of W campus called Judges Row. The house was once owned by Judge Bruce J.S. MacDonald, who was Canada`s chief war crimes prosecutor during the Nuremburg Trials.

The building was purchased by the university in 2016 after the previous occupant, Iona College, fell into debt. The college had built an addition to the rear of the house in 1974.

The university has asked for the house to be demolished because, according to the report submitted to City Council, it ``does not have sufficient cultural heritage value or interest to prevent it from being demolished.`` U of W has announced a desire to turn the site of the house into green space.

According to the report, the house is not included in the university`s master transformation plan.

The city had placed the house on its Municipal Heritage Registry in 2008.

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