After a lengthy meeting at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre, Chatham-Kent Council voted in favour of moving into the procurement phase of the proposed Chatham-Kent Community Hub project.
The following recommendations from staff were approved in an 12-5 vote:
– Administration be authorized to proceed with the construction procurement phase of the Chatham-Kent Community Hub (CKCH).
– Costs associated with the high-level cost comparison and additional accessibility review of $115,000 be funded from the Buildings Lifecycle Reserve.
Councillors Connor Allin, Lauren Andrerson, Anthony Ceccacci, Marjorie Crew, Ryan Doyle, Amy Finn, Aaron Hall, Melissa Harrigan, Jamie McGrail, Brock McGregor, Carmen McGregor and Mayor Darrin Canniff all voted in favour.
Councillors Michael Bondy, Rhonda Jubenville, Morena McDonald, Alysson Storey and John Wright were all opposed.
Councillor Trevor Thompson was absent for the vote.
“If we don’t go in this direction it will cost taxpayers more, it will cost rural taxpayers more,” Councillor Brock McGregor, who moved the recommendations, said during the meeting.
“How do we tell residents in Bothwell, Wheatley, Tilbury, Dresden, Wallaceburg and Ridgetown to spend additional dollars just to revamp the old Civic Centre? This is an option that combines assets, decreases lifecycle needs, closes the infrastructure gap and provides better service to our community. This is the best way forward.”
The detailed design for the hub was presented at the meeting.
Municipal staff say the proposal reimagines the former Sears building at 100 King Street as a modern, accessible, and inclusive municipal space.
“This project consolidates services currently housed in the Civic Centre, Chatham Library branch, and Chatham-Kent Museum into one shared building,” Municipal officials say.
“The Class ‘A’ Cost Estimate for the project is $52,883,598 (inclusive of tax after rebate), which remains within the Council-approved $53-million budget. This estimate includes all essential project components, such as building acquisition, construction, consulting services, furnishings, relocations, and contingencies (including contingency for potential tariff impacts).”
Municipal officials added: “Recognizing that ‘something must be done’ in terms of fixing existing municipal facilities, and in contrast with the CKCH pricing above, a high-level cost comparison reveals that upgrading the current Civic Centre, Chatham Library branch, and Chatham-Kent Museum separately to meet the proposed CKCK standards for accessibility, energy efficiency, modernized infrastructure, and public service delivery, would total over $108- million—more than double the proposed CKCH project cost.”
Municipal officials say the individual costs would include:
– Civic Centre: $54,114,740
– Library: $34,744,040
– Museum: $19,405,750
“This is a total of $108,264,530, meaning upgrading the three existing facilities separately would be $55.26-million more expensive, requiring a larger debenture along with a potential significant property tax impact for Chatham-Kent residents,” Municipal officials say.
In terms of funding, Municipal officials say the proposed hub is fully funded with no impact to property taxes due to strategic building funding by Council over the past decade as part of the Asset Management Plan funding.
“Once the CKCH is completed Council will have the opportunity to declare the Library and Civic Centre to be surplus properties with proceeds offsetting some CKCH capital cost, enabling their redevelopment and additions to the downtown area,” Municipal officials say.
“There also will be naming rights opportunities and potential for donations to the library and museum portions if Council decides to proceed to tender. A debenture will be issued for cash flow purposes at today’s historically low rates as detailed in the funding plan included in the report.”
Administration had been recommending to proceed to the Construction Procurement Phase, issuing a competitive bid to qualified firms capable of delivering the project within the defined scope, timeline, and budget constraints.
“Once the successful applicant is identified for the general construction, administration will be bringing a report to Council for award of the construction contract, in accordance with Purchasing By-Law #205-2023,” Municipal officials say.
“The timeline for competitive tendering is expected to take the summer with the return to Council at a September meeting. The CKCH supports a smaller footprint for Civic Centre staff reflecting today’s needs, an energy efficient and fully accessible design, co-location of services for residents and new library and museum, all without impacts to property taxes.”
23 deputations were provided by members of the community on the topic on Monday, some through email, one on Zoom and the majority in-person at the Bradley Centre.
Local business owner Rob Myers, who is part of an ownership group for the current mall facility, was one of the individuals to provide a deputation on Monday night.
“As someone deeply committed to the restoration and revitalization of Downtown Chatham, I want to speak clearly in support of the CK Community Hub,” Myers posted on social media, through One Hundred King page.
“There has been some false information circulating, and I feel it’s important to set the record straight: this project is not about financial gain — not for me, and not for anyone involved. It’s about investing in the heart of our community.”
Myers added” “The CK Hub is a chance to create a welcoming, inclusive space where people can gather, learn, and grow — a true legacy for future generations. With this addition, we’ll attract new business and opportunity to Chatham-Kent, which in turn helps broaden the tax base and ease the burden on residents.”
Myers, who also owns Retro Suites in downtown Chatham and other buildings, says he spent decades working to breathe life back into the downtown.
“I see this as a bold and meaningful step forward,” he added.
“If you believe in what this community can become, I encourage you to get informed, share your support, and help clear the air. Let’s build something that truly brings us together.”
More details about the proposed project can be found, here.
