Amherstburg to cost a convention centre at Belle Vue property

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Amherstburg is having another look at a convention centre on the Belle Vue House property. 

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A report on priorities produced by the town’s economic advisory committee Jan. 15 notes as a near-term priority that administration should “identify the costs to develop a business case for a Belle Vue Convention Centre.” 

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The town purchased the site at 525 Dalhousie St. in 2016 but was unable to fund its restoration. The 200-year-old manor has been unoccupied since 2001 and now sits in a dilapidated state. 

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The two-storey white brick house, built between 1816 and 1819 for Robert Reynolds, the deputy assistant commissary general of the garrison at Fort Malden, was designated a national historic site in 1959 for its Palladian architectural style. 

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In 2024, the town voted to proceed with negotiations on a proposal by Amico Properties and the Loop family to turn the manor and property into a hotel and convention centre. The site was declared surplus in September of that year to allow for the sale of the property to private interests for development. 

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The town is still awaiting a response on what is known as the Amico-Loop proposal, said Mayor Michael Prue Saturday.  

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The town completed studies on nature habitats, archaeological finds and environmental issues. It’s now awaiting a comment from Amico president Dominic Amicone whether he wants the land, said Prue. 

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Under the original proposal, Amico wanted the seven acres behind the house for free, said Prue. That much land downtown is worth about $8 million, he said.  

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“That’s what the negotiations (are), waiting to see what they come back with, how much they’re willing to offer.” 

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The proposal is to transform the manor into hotel rooms, including a spa, a restaurant, event space and outdoor pavilion and green space. The Amico-Loop plan also included 52 three-story townhomes on the land. 

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The proposal is available on the town’s public engagement platform talktheburg.ca, but commenting is now closed. 

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Prue expects a response from Amico sometime of the first quarter of 2026. 

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The idea of restoration of the Belle Vue and construction of a hotel and convention centre on land behind the Belle Vue was discussed in 2019, when Amherstburg looked for a partner or sponsor.  

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Preliminary designs at the time called for a ballroom capable of holding 300 people and a conference centre with breakout rooms attached by a walkway to the original home. The estimated cost at the time for restoration of the home and a convention centre and a botanical garden was $9 million.