With some major changes to the original ‘Imagine Chatham-Kent’ proposal for downtown Chatham, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is now considering a revised proposal.
At their Monday, August 14, 2023 meeting, Council approved the following staff recommendations:
– Further consultation be undertaken regarding the various options presented in the August 14 staff report.
– Administration prepare a report for the October 30, 2023 Council Meeting that will provide the following: A summary of the advantages and disadvantages for each option and a summary of the stakeholder and public consultation.
The Municipality and the investors have met numerous times to negotiate key terms and resolve areas of disagreement and these negotiations have since produced a revised draft agreement:
“To summarize, the new proposal is very similar to what was proposed in the original proposal for the Phase 1 aspect,” said Michael Duben, Chief Administrative Officer, in a report.
“The major difference is that Phase 2, the Entertainment Complex, is not proceeding forward as the Investor Group intends on maintaining and refurbishing the remainder of the mall. The Investor Group has indicated that with an appraisal price of $3,500,000, they do not see the feasibility for the creation of the Entertainment Complex. The Entertainment Complex was a significant aspect of the Imagine Chatham-Kent proposal which garnered some public interest; however, this element of the Imagine Chatham-Kent proposal will not be proceeding.”
Duben added: “Administration has been advised that the Investor Group is currently seeking long term leases for the mall tenants in an attempt to revitalize the mall. The Investor Group has recently secured some longer leases, so it seems unlikely that a redevelopment of the mall for other purposes is imminent as the Investor group has advised they want the DCC to be a top tier mall.”
Read Duben’s full report, here.
After the August 14, 2023 meeting, administration launched a public engagement survey.
“This survey is designed to allow public input on and gauge public sentiment for important elements of the project,” Municipal officials said on the Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent website.
“The survey will remain open until September 22, 2023, and will be shared through Municipal social media accounts to ensure adequate public engagement throughout the municipality.”
Municipal officials say there will also be two public consultation sessions, one will be with the specific stakeholder groups (Chatham-Kent Public Library and Chatham-Kent Arts and Culture community) and the other with the general public.
Municipal officials say the following is a proposed timeline:
– August 15 – September 22 – Let’s Talk Survey Opens to the public
– September 13 and 20 – Consultation Sessions take place
– September 23 – October 11 – Internal review of public comments and development of advantages/disadvantages for each option
– October 12 – 23 – Finalize Council Report
– October 26 – Council Report Posted Publicly
– October 30 – Council Meeting
More details about the proposal can be found, here.
