The Community Hub is moving onto the next stage of development.
Council voted 14 to 4 in favour of awarding Fortis Construction Group Inc. the tender to lead the construction of the Chatham-Kent Community Hub project.
Councillors Alysson Storey, Michael Bondy, Rhonda Jubenville, and John Wright voted against awarding the tender to the Tecumseh-based company who came in with a bid of $39,280,323 which included an HST rebate.
With the bid coming in under budget, several councillors voiced their eagerness to move onto the next stage of renovating the old Sears building after many years of deliberation.
“I am glad this is coming to an end, an end of the discussion but the beginning of a vision,” said Ward 6 representative Marjorie Crew.
“This is investing in our people, our community. I hear a lot of excitement for the project and excitement for our community.”
Councillor Storey’s motion for administration to provide a report with full financial transparency for the project including a projection of costs outside of construction failed.
Council defeated the motion 14 to 4, with Councillor Melissa Harrigan agreeing with administration that costs have already been presented to council in previous reports.
“If you look at the link and the staff report that was provided it does, in detail parallel to the itemized numbers in the notice of motion, go through and provide the financial details to support this decision,” said Harrigan.
“In a future date could staff come back to us and say we need more or less staff and we decide that at budget time? Absolutely that’s possible. But I don’t think that should hinder the discussion we are going to have now.”
Misinformation has been a source of frustration for the build, and a comment suggesting rural libraries could close as a result of the new Hub from Councillor Storey elicited a point of point of privilege from Harrigan.
“For the speaker to suggest that libraries could be closed, after we as council have heard staff confirm that it calls on the integrity of council and how I am going to make a future decision,” said Harrigan.
“I would like to reassure my constituents that I have heard and seen that local libraries and rural communities are not going to be impacted from this. Our CFO has said this. And so for the mover to suggest that this is not true, does impute in some way the integrity of council.”
The Ward 6 representative was reprimanded in September for allegedly spreading misinformation about the Hub.
“I’ve been around the table for ten or 11 years, budget chair for a while, I’ve never seen a staff recommendation to close a rural library,” said Councillor Brock McGregor.
“I feel for my rural colleagues, I feel for my Ward 6 colleagues, but if there is any insinuation that we are not committed to rural libraries, we are and I want that to be clear at the end of tonight.”
With council’s approval Monday night, construction is expected to begin in December with completion of the Community Hub anticipated to be early 2028.
