Windsor Morning7:09Spirit Halloween signs appear on vacant and “haunted” looking buildings downtown
If you’ve been in downtown Windsor recently, you likely noticed large orange and black signs plastered across the windows and doors of vacant buildings.
They read “Spirit Halloween Coming Soon” but have nothing to do with the seasonal pop-up paraphernalia chain actually setting up shop there.
Local street artist Daniel Bombardier — also known as Denial — is putting them up trying to draw attention to the number of empty locations in the city’s core.
Many of which, he says, look haunted.
Bombardier says he decided to start hanging them up after coming getting ahold of a couple hundred of the signs.
“There’s a lot of famous memes using the Spirit Halloween kind of banner,” he said.
“Their business is synonymous with utilizing abandoned buildings and closed down shops. And because they’re a temporary kind of ephemeral business, I think they should exist all year round. But that’s, that’s just me.”
According to Bombardier, the signs illustrate a “poignant kind of juxtaposition.”
“Why is there so many boarded up and closed down businesses in one area that we should all be proud of our downtown?” It was really scary, kind of like Halloween.”
He hopes by highlighting the amount of empty buildings, it will fuel efforts to utilize the business spaces.
“Like some sort of rent subsidy or some sort of incentive to not have them boarded up and abandoned looking. It’s really kind of like post apocalyptic and zombie like. It’s very much like Spirit Halloween.
CBC’s Jennifer La Grassa speaks with architect and urban designer Dorian Moore about Windsor’s downtown revitalization plan one year after it was endorsed by council.
Jess Reimer helped with the project, and says they have more of the signs available for people to use in a similar fashion.
“We encourage people to put them up anywhere — and like wherever they see fit,” he told CBC Radio’s Windsor Morning host Amy Dodge.
“Definitely makes people smile,” added Bombardier.
“That’s part of the Halloween [spirit]. It’s not to be taken too seriously. We got a trick or treat.”
Bombardier says the revitalization of Detroit and its downtown should serve as a prime example of what’s possible in terms of a rebirth.
“We helped using murals and artwork and different creative projects. We’ve helped revitalize that city. And so I’ve seen it come back from where we’re at and I feel like we’re really 10 years behind Detroit.”
Reimer says Windsor’s core is in need of a facelift.
“It’s just a not good looking area because of all the closed down buildings, homeless people all all congregate there and it scares ‘normal’ people when they see it, right? I just want to see downtown be like it was 10 years ago.”
“I want to fill the spaces. I don’t want to talk about the emptiness.– Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino
Coun. Renaldo Agostino represents the city’s downtown.
He says he thought the signs were “pretty funny” when he first spotted them, and thinks it’s gotten people talking.
“I’m not necessarily sure that this is [just] a downtown thing,” he told CBC News.
“I’ve also seen them on businesses that are occupied. It’s the creatives are having some fun out there and doing their thing.”
Chris MacLeod, chair of the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association, said the signs are a great way to draw attention to an issue that needs continued work in the downtown.
“I think it highlights availability. It highlights that there is availability downtown,” he said.
MacLeod said more residential development in the downtown — including units in several buildings under redevelopment — will help attract more businesses. The BIA is also focused on planning events to change any negative public perception of the downtown, he said.
Agostino says he’s laser-focused on bringing in new investments to the core.
“I want to fill the spaces. I don’t want to talk about the emptiness. That’s what my job is,” he said.
The Ward 3 councillor says when he started out in his role, the pushback against businesses setting up shop was more about the core’s reputation — warranted or not.
Now, he says, with leases way down in some spots, the apprehension comes from a different place.
“People are just nervous because of the climate, because of what’s happening, because of the trade wars. People are nervous to invest in anything right now.”
Agostino anticipates a new coffee shop opening soon with a couple of other “big developments” coming down the pike soon.
“Big companies, not just a restaurant or a nightclub. The potential of companies that left downtown Windsor 20 years ago coming back. It’s exciting times.”
