Chatham-Kent council backs $53 million CK Hub

Chatham-Kent Civic Centre is seen in this undated file photo (CTV News Windsor)

Chatham-Kent has backed a $53 million CK Community Hub project to bring several services together under one roof in downtown Chatham.

On Monday evening, Council voted 12-5 to approve the decision to begin the search for a builder of the development at 100 King Street, also known as the former Sears building.

More than 150 people packed into the John D. Bradley Convention Centre to listen to discussion on the highly controversial build.

Council spent four hours hearing from residents, asking questions of staff, and sharing their feelings on the monumental development.

“This is the most fiscally responsible thing to do, and we get the museum and the library moving forward for the next 50 years,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff.

Those voting against the community hub were councillors Wright, Jubenville, Storey, Bondy and McDonald. Councillor Trevor Thompson recused himself from the matter.

The proposal will see the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre, the Chatham branch of the municipal library, and the CK Museum all located in one building.

Residents weigh-in

Before striking a decision, council heard from 16 deputations with the majority voicing opposition to the community hub.

The plan, which one resident labelled as the unneeded “Taj Mahal” for Chatham-Kent, has been scrutinized for the cost, need, and purpose in a geographically spread-out community.

Jim Brackett, the president of the Kent Federation of Agriculture (KFA), cast doubt on the project budget and supposed promises the cost would not rise.

“The KFA and others wonder if such a financial commitment, especially if it goes way beyond that, could not be better utilized for other infrastructure priorities such as roads, bridges, drainage, dust control,” Brackett said.

Over the years, Brackett said, many developments have been built to “revitalize” the downtown in a similar fashion as the community hub.

He pleaded with council to maintain the current buildings, and divert the remaining funds to other infrastructure projects.

“There will never be enough money to meet the demands of a municipality of our size, but a true sign of leadership is the ability to focus on needs, not wants,” Brackett added.

A petition to stop the community hub and renovate the civic centre has garnered more than 1,700 signatures as of Monday night.

Former MPP for the region Rick Nicholls urged rural councillors to consider whether the proposal will serve their constituents’ needs.

“You should know what the pressing items are in your wards, and I don’t believe that it’s a hub,” Nicholls said.

The proposal

The existing civic centre is outdated and lacking in flexibility and the ability to accommodate growth, according to a staff report.

Under the development plans, the former Sears building would be expanded to provide 119,278 square feet across all facilities.

Residents heard the price tag remains at $53 million, which includes property acquisition, design, construction and furniture.

Staff also detailed $2 million has been spent on “investigative” work for the community hub.

According to the municipality, a cost-analysis estimated it would cost about $108 million to renovate the civic centre, expand the library and extend the museum all to the same standards as the proposed hub.

“All capital costs for the Chatham-Kent Community Hub project remain within the existing $53,000,000 approved budget, requiring no new property tax increases,” the staff report states.

The municipality believes he consolidation of the three facilities will benefit a ballooning infrastructure repair deficit.

Staff expect the contract would be awarded and the new Chatham-Kent Community Hub would be completed in 2027.