Former Navistar property in Chatham being transformed into major indoor sports complex

Part of the Navistar property is being turned into an indoor sports complex in Chatham. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has the details.

A long-vacant industrial property in Chatham is getting a new lease on life, as plans move ahead to transform the former Navistar site into a large indoor sports complex.

Developer Philip Ong said the project will bring year-round recreation to a community that’s long needed more indoor options.

“It is very exciting,” Ong exclaimed during a tour of the facility Wednesday.

“We don’t have enough indoor facilities here. So, I thought, why not create a space where families and kids can come play year-round?”

More than 37,000 square feet of renovated space is being prepared, including indoor soccer fields with artificial turf, six volleyball courts, badminton courts, and three half basketball courts.

Future plans for the complex will also feature seating for up to 450 people, a café and bar area, outdoor sand volleyball courts, a patio, and an outdoor turf soccer field with lights.

Ong, who recently moved to Chatham with his family from Toronto, said the idea came from personal experience trying to find winter activities close to home.

“We came here with our first daughter, and our second daughter was born here,” he said.

“We just needed something to do in the winter. Things lined up, the stars aligned, and here we are. We’re just starting this project and hopefully can get it running in January.”

The current facility is considered a starting point for what Ong describes as a “small-scale test site,” with plans for an even larger complex in the years ahead.

“Something bigger might be coming,” Ong said.

“We’re talking with the city and the Tetrault group about a dedicated indoor facility with a full-size FIFA soccer field… the only one between London and Windsor.”

Ong said he’s determined to see it through.

“It is ambitious, yes,” he said.

“But we will make it happen because I definitely want it to happen. I’m very determined.”

Ong said he is leasing the property from its owners, Don Tetrault, Mike Vagi, and Rob Myers.

Tetrault said the Navistar lands, roughly 80 acres at Keil Drive, Richmond Street, and Merritt Avenue, have now been cleaned up and are fully serviced for development.

“It’s all environmentally cleaned up and ready to go,” he said.

“So, we call it shovel-ready with all the services around the whole property. It’s time.”

Tetrault said the property has already drawn interest from other potential tenants.

“We have a few bites,” he said.

“We’re being very careful how we develop this in sections. We’re always looking at what’s best for the community.”

Mayor Darrin Canniff said the project fills a long-standing gap in local recreation options and reflects a strong public-private partnership.

“This is extremely good news for Chatham-Kent,” Canniff said.

“This is a facility we’ve been needing here for a lot of years. It’s fantastic that we can create a public-private partnership to have this done.”

Canniff said the larger permanent complex is expected to be completed by 2028, with the smaller facility opening in the meantime.

“It’s great to see this property being repurposed,” he said.

“It was a deserted property… 80-something acres… and now it’s a completely clean site, set for development. It’s going to be a real hub for sports and other things.”

Chatham-Kent councillor Brock McGregor said projects like this demonstrate how private partners can help meet growing community demand, noting the recently opened indoor tennis dome.

“It’s a really exciting development for the community,” McGregor told CTV News.

“We’ve seen a lot of interest in recreational infrastructure, and it’s fantastic to see private partners step up and develop something that’s going to be a really important part of attraction and retention in Chatham-Kent.”

Ong said the goal is to open the first phase early next year in January, marking a new chapter for a landmark site that’s been quiet since Navistar’s closure more than a decade ago.