The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) will be looking at other options for its Windsor operations.
Both the health unit and the University of Windsor announced Tuesday afternoon that a proposed relocation of the health unit's Windsor headquarters to the U of W campus will not proceed.
Health Unit CEO Dr. Ken Blanchette said budgetary concerns were behind the decision.
"Faced with a challenging fiscal situation, our priority must be the ongoing public health programming and services that are essential to the Windsor-Essex community," said Blanchette. "Going forward, we are committed to continuing to provide the critical public health services that our region depends on."
Blanchette added that the health unit will continue working with the university on other initiatives. The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding in 2022 to help enhance research, jointly support academic public health, and expand job placement opportunities to students.
U of W Vice President of Research and Innovation Dr. Shanthi Johnson said the school will move forward with partnerships with other entities while maintaining its current relationship with the health unit.
"Public health is not only a focus and priority for the University but also a critical regional need," said Johnson.
The health unit had been looking for a new home for its Windsor headquarters, as the lease on the current Ouellette Avenue building was set to expire.
The plan was to retrofit U of W's Residence Hall West building to accommodate the health unit's operations, but it has since been determined by the health unit that the move was not feasible.
If the relocation to the university had gone through, the health unit would have moved into Residence Hall West by the start of the 2024-25 academic year.
