Chatham-Kent’s proposed Community Hub project is not expected to dip further into taxpayers’ pockets, according to the municipality.
A report coming to CK Council on October 21 will provide local politicians with an updated detailed concept design and cost estimates of the multi-year project, which would see the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre, CK Public Library and CK Museum amalgamated into the former Sears building in downtown Chatham.
The projected total cost of the Community Hub project is estimated at $53 million. The existing Civic Centre alone is currently in need of around $37 million in repairs.
According to the report, funding for the project has already been allocated and approved as part of Chatham-Kent’s 2024-2027 multi-year operating budget and it is not expected to have further financial impact on taxpayers in the future.
However, annual operational costs to run the new facility are expected to increase due to the expanded space for the library, museum and civic centre, which will see a 90 per cent, 150 per cent, and seven per cent increase in square footage respectively. The design of the hub incorporates energy-efficient systems and sustainable materials to help mitigate these expenses.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff said there has been quite a bit of misinformation swirling around the project, with many residents concerned about an impact on taxes.
“Whether we fix up the Civic Centre or we build the Sears project, we’ve already saved up the money to do it,” he said. “I run into people every day [saying] ‘This project is going to cost $100 million,’ and it’s not. If it was going to cost $100 million we wouldn’t be doing it.”
During the meeting on October 21, council will be asked to vote on whether or not the project will move into its next phase by awarding a $2,177,683.46 contract to Architecturra Inc. for completion of the detailed designs. Another $105,839 would be spent to hire a project manager to support the design and construction of the Community Hub. All of the funding would be allocated from the municipality’s Buildings Lifecycle Reserve.
“We really down to two choices here; we either fix up the current Civic Centre for $37 million, or for a little bit more we can create a facility that’s twice the size, filled with a new library and new museum,” said Canniff.
Additional decisions on how the project will move forward will be made by council in the first and second quarters of 2025. If given final approval, construction is anticipated to begin in the third quarter of 2025 with completion expected within 18–24 months.
The Chatham-Kent Community Hub report has been published online in advance of council’s meeting on October 21 to ensure residents have ample time to review the information. The report, including detailed design concept drawings, can be found by clicking here.
Municipal administration initially said deputations would not be allowed ahead of the vote, but rather residents were welcome to email their thoughts to council. Following a motion from Councillor Alysson Storey at this week’s council meeting, deputations will be permitted ahead of the vote. The motion passed 15-1.
Chatham-Kent Council agreed in January to purchase the Sears portion of the Downtown Chatham Centre at a cost of $2.95 million. Since then, the municipality has provided multiple opportunities for public engagement on the proposed Community Hub, including three public information sessions that were attended by over 300 residents. Two online public surveys were also conducted, as well as three stakeholder engagement meetings and several one-on-one meetings with local advisory committees and boards.