Windsor's Downtown Mission could be on the move.
Executive Director Ron Dunn confirmed the mission is looking at a property on McDougall Street and Shepherd to build a $7.2-million facility Tuesday.
He tells The Morning Drive the property is the best option after receiving feedback from the community.
"What we heard from our donors and our neighbourhood was look, we need you to move out of Victoria Avenue because we've outgrown the space and we'd like for you to go someplace that is on a secondary street and not on Ouellette."
Dunn says the mission still has a big financial hill to climb to get the project done.
"I've already gotten lots of emails saying if you have $7.2-million then why are you asking me for money? We don't have $7.2-million, we need to raise that money," he says. "The sale of our other buildings will bring in about $2.5-million, so we really need to raise somewhere in the $5-million neighbourhood."
The deadline to move out of the current building on Victoria Avenue hasn't changed, according to Dunn.
"We actually plan to have all the services moved in by Christmas of 2021, so we're just over a year away," says Dunn. "The process, we're told from the city, can be expedited quickly and we're hopeful that the community is going to support us."
Dunn says the mission has $2.5-million from the sale of its existing properties, but will need to fundraise and seek government support for the remainder of the $7.2-million project.
The mission backed out of a $10-million purchase and renovation of the former central branch of Windsor Public Library on Ouellette Avenue in February after it failed to secure a mortgage.