If you’ve driven past the Paul Martin Building lately, you might have noticed something different. More activity, more signs of work being done, maybe some scaffolding that wasn’t there before. Turns out there’s a good reason for that, and it’s bigger than most people in Windsor realize.

The Paul Martin Building is being converted into a boutique hotel. We’re looking at 80 to 100 suites, a restaurant, a cafe, and possibly a gym, all inside one of downtown Windsor’s most recognizable historic buildings. The price tag on this project is around $30 million, and from what I’ve been hearing, the work is already well underway.

How Much Progress Has Actually Been Made on the Paul Martin Building Hotel

This isn’t one of those projects where you hear an announcement and then nothing happens for two years. Mayor Drew Dilkens has actually been inside and seen the work firsthand, and he says more than $7 million has already been spent on the interior. That includes restoring the original floors, which is one of my favourite details here. There’s something about preserving the character of an old building while turning it into something new and functional. It’s the kind of project that respects what came before while building toward what’s next.

Dilkens described the restoration work as impressive, and based on the timeline, this is moving along faster than a lot of downtown projects we’ve seen in recent years.

The One Thing Holding Up the Paul Martin Building Hotel Timeline

Here’s where it gets a little more complicated. The building currently houses the Central Branch of the Windsor Public Library, and the library has been asked to vacate by early 2028. The developer would prefer that happen sooner rather than later, because trying to renovate around an active library is a lot harder than working on a building that’s completely empty.

The city is trying to figure out where the library goes next. Right now, they’re waiting to hear back from the province about using the former Ontario Tourism building near City Hall as a new permanent home for the downtown library. Infrastructure Ontario has already been told the city is interested, so that process is in motion. Once there’s more clarity, this will likely go to city council for a decision.

About 40 library administrative staff were already relocated back in March, moved from the Paul Martin Building into the former Motor City Community Credit Union building across from City Hall. Pieces of this transition are already happening, even if the bigger move is still a few years out.

Why the Paul Martin Building Hotel Matters for Downtown Windsor

I’ve talked before about how downtown Windsor has been quietly building momentum, and this is the kind of project that can accelerate that. A boutique hotel brings people downtown who might not otherwise have a reason to be there. Visitors need places to eat, things to do, and reasons to stick around for more than an hour.

When a hospitality investment of this size lands in a core like ours, it tends to pull other things along with it. More foot traffic supports more restaurants and retail. More restaurants and retail make the area more attractive to other investors. It’s not an overnight transformation, but it’s the kind of catalyst that can shift the trajectory of a neighbourhood over a few years.

Whether you own property downtown, you’re thinking about investing in this area, or you just live here and care about what Windsor looks like in five years, this is one to keep an eye on.

What to Watch Next

The big variable here is the library timeline. Until the city sorts out a new location and the library actually moves out, the full scope of renovations probably can’t proceed at the pace everyone would like. But the fact that conversations are already happening with the province, and that staff have already started relocating, tells me this is moving in the right direction.

I’ll keep following this one closely, because projects like this don’t come around often, and the ripple effects for downtown Windsor could be significant.

If you found this useful, do me a favour and share it with someone who cares about what’s happening in our downtown. The more people who know about this, the more momentum it builds, and that’s good for all of us.