It has been a long time coming, but officials with the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent are confident that construction of a new centre is within sight and they will be able to move into a new facility within the next couple of years.
Construction companies are expected to bid on the project later this year, with construction expected to start shortly after.
Donna Litwin-Makey, executive director of the centre, said they are currently pre-qualifying contractors. She said she hopes to post for a general contractor in the next couple of months.
While Litwin-Makey doesn’t have a specific date for timelines on where things will start, noting there are a lot of government approvals needed to move forward.
If all goes to schedule, there’s a chance they will be in their new building by the end of 2025, Litwin-Makey said.
The new building will be located on McNaughton Avenue West, across from St. Clair College. The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services has firmly committed to the project, announcing funding back during their 2021 budget.
A new building is needed, as their current facility is jam-packed. A staff break room is used for programming, and washrooms are used for office space.
The current building is on municipal land. The new building will be almost double in size of the current treatment centre, as the new building will be 5,110 square meters (55,000 square feet).
Community fundraising for the new facility is also within reach, as the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent Foundation has raised $9.5 million of their $10 million goal.
