With only five council meetings left before the municipal election in October, Chatham-Kent’s mayor says it is unlikely any final decisions will be made regarding the redevelopment of the Downtown Chatham Centre (DCC).
While the current council has applauded the plans to turn the DCC into a municipal community hub and entertainment complex, Mayor Darrin Canniff said it’s an important decision that will be left to the next term of council.
“We will not have any final decisions on [the DCC]. It would be nice to do that, but we need time to do things right with that,” said Canniff.
Chatham-Kent residents will head to the polls for the municipal election on October 24.
A group of local investors and the owners of the DCC presented their proposal for redevelopment in June, and council unanimously voted to conduct a due diligence process to determine capital costs and allow time for public consultation.
The broad plans include bringing various municipal services under one roof, such as the Civic Centre, the Chatham Library Branch and the Chatham Cultural Centre. Existing infrastructure would be sold.
The design also proposes demolishing a portion of the DCC to make way for an entertainment complex, which would support a 4,000-seat facility for hosting a variety of sports and events, including an ice rink.
If the plans come to fruition, it would easily be the biggest urban revitalization project in Chatham-Kent’s history.
Municipal staff are expected to present a report to council on August 8 with the results of the community consultation process, along with an update on capital cost estimates for the project.