Another small but important housing project just moved one step closer to becoming reality in Windsor.

The City of Windsor’s Development and Heritage Standing Committee recently approved rezoning for a proposed four-storey apartment building at the corner of Howard Avenue and Ottawa Street. The project would add 25 residential units along with 25 parking spaces.

The site has an irregular shape, which required some reduced setback requirements, but city planners told the committee the development fits the area’s existing mixed-use designation. They also confirmed that nearby infrastructure can support the project.

From a planning perspective, this is exactly the type of location where additional density tends to make sense.

Howard and Ottawa sits in the heart of the city. The area is close to transit routes, schools, and the Ottawa Street commercial district. It is also within walking distance of major corridors like Tecumseh Road and Howard Avenue. In other words, this is not suburban expansion. It is incremental infill within an established neighbourhood.

One point that came up during the discussion was parking. The project does not include visitor parking, but it does provide one space per unit. Ward 4 Councillor Mark McKenzie noted the surrounding area is highly walkable and well-served by transit, which helped address concerns.

Another interesting detail is that the project received no opposition at the public meeting. According to McKenzie, the developer held an open house with residents beforehand and no one attended the committee meeting to speak against the proposal. That kind of groundwork often makes a big difference when projects move through the approval process.

The developer behind the project is Andi Shallvari of Masotti Construction, who has worked on a number of projects around Windsor. McKenzie noted that Shallvari has a reputation for engaging with residents early and listening to community concerns before bringing projects to committee.

The proposal now moves to Windsor City Council for final approval.

If council signs off, the developer hopes to have shovels in the ground by the end of 2026.

Twenty five units will not solve Windsor’s housing shortage on their own. But this type of steady infill development is part of the broader solution. Adding housing in established corridors helps increase supply without pushing growth further outward.

Over time, projects like this quietly reshape neighbourhoods while supporting the local businesses and services that already exist nearby.

And that is often how real city building happens. Not always through massive projects, but through consistent additions that gradually strengthen the urban fabric.

If you found this helpful, consider sharing it with someone who follows Windsor development or cares about where the city is headed. Conversations like this help more people understand how local housing decisions actually shape our communities.