WINDSOR, Ont. — Despite more than two years of delays in the $32-million conversion of the former Grace Hospital site into a long-term care facility, the provincial government remained confident Wednesday the job will be completed, and is awaiting updated plans this week.

And the project's contractor, Lou Vozza, said he is optimistic construction could actually start by late May.

He remains confident the building can be completed and open for use by the government-imposed March 2011 deadline.

Still, at Monday's council meeting, Coun. Ron Jones raised concerns, noting how the project's start date has continually been pushed back for more than two years.

The west-end councillor has received complaints from neighbours about the site, which has become an eyesore. It poses security and safety risks for the neighbourhood with transients and other trespassers attracted to the site, he said.

"Certainly police have been called to the site," he said. "There are some fire concerns. There has also been fill (soil) and other things sitting in the back lot which has become an eyesore and true inconvenience for people living on Crawford, Oak and Elm (streets) for nearly three years."

Jones was also concerned whether the health ministry would pull the site's 256 long-term beds out of Windsor if the project fails to soon move forward.

"If the contractor does not get going soon my biggest fear is to lose these beds to someone else," he said.