As Chatham-Kent councillors mull over the potential next steps of the proposed community hub in downtown Chatham, a group of local residents is voicing its opposition to the project.
Dubbed “Put the Brakes on the Hub,” a protest taking place this evening will include a cruise down King Street West, starting at the Civic Centre at 5 o’clock.
Organizers say the event will not be slow enough to disrupt other drivers and won’t last long, but they hope to get their message across.
“We are frugal people, prepared to fix what we have in the Civic Centre that we own,” said spokesperson Christie Coatsworth in a news release. “We also see significant economic uncertainty on the horizon in this auto-oriented community. Homelessness has already increased in CK by 171% since 2019, the wait for social housing went up by 40% last year alone, etc. We have greater needs than a grandiose new municipal facility at the end of the old mall.”
Earlier this week, a report was made public with a detailed cost comparison of creating the new hub with a combined civic centre, library, and museum as opposed to making repairs and renovations the three existing buildings. The report, which is available to the public through the Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent website, will be discussed by council May 12th before members vote on whether to begin the request for proposals process to find a contractor.