A proposal to put some sort of arena-entertainment complex in downtown Chatham is officially dead.
A 4,000 seat arena has been part of much ballyhooed Imagine Chatham-Kent proposal, which would see the privately-owned Downtown Chatham Centre mall converted into municipal offices, library, art gallery, museum and council chambers.
A report about the Imagine Chatham-Kent proposal is coming to council tonight. In the report, the investor group that currently owns the mall stated that they’re not proceeding forward on an entertainment complex/arena as they intend on maintaining and refurbishing the remainder of the mall. The investor group has indicated they do not see the feasibility for the creation of the entertainment complex.
The report coming to council further consultation be undertaken regarding the various options presented in the report.
The options include:
One: doing nothing and addressing concerns on an as-need basis on current municipal properties such as the Civic Centre, museum and library.
Two: Renovate the current Civic Centre.
Three: Renovate the current Civic Centre, expand the Chatham library and make improvements to the Cultural Centre.
Four: Build a new Civic Centre in a new location.
Five: Purchase a portion of the Downtown Chatham Centre and relocate municipal properties.
It’s expected that Chatham-Kent administration will prepare a report for this fall that will give a summary of the pros and cons for each option.
It’s also expected that Chatham-Kent will embark on stakeholder and public consultation about the possible changes to the municipal properties.
