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Next Monday’s Council meeting is shaping up to be one of the most contentious in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent’s 26-year history.
An update on the Chatham-Kent Community Hub highlights the Oct. 21 agenda. The administration will provide new details on the proposed move of the Civic Centre, the main Chatham-Kent Public Library branch, and the Chatham-Kent Museum into the former Sears building in the Downtown Chatham Centre.
Councillors will determine whether the project will continue into Phase Three, which, if approved, will lead to the finalization of the designs, tendering of costs, construction procurement, and, pending final approval, the start of construction.
However, if Councillors vote against proceeding to the next phase, the administration will follow the council’s direction on how to proceed with the property it owns.
Two Councillors turned up the heat on the hot topic at the Oct. 7 meeting.
Ward 6 Councillor Alysson Storey, a summer resident of Rondeau, was successful in her motion to allow public deputations at the Oct. 21 meeting after the administration previously said members of the public would not have the opportunity to voice their opinions that night.
Ward 4 North Kent Councillor Rhonda Jubenville entered notices of motions calling for administration to enact the buy-back clause in the purchase of the former Sears building and to hold a referendum where Chatham-Kent residents vote on the proposed move of municipal services to the mall.
Jubenville’s motions will be discussed and voted on during Monday’s meeting.
The municipality purchased the former Sears portion of the Downtown Chatham Centre from 100 King Street CK Holdings Inc. for $2.95 million, which includes a buy-back provision should the municipality not proceed with the redevelopment plans.
The estimated cost for purchasing and redeveloping the former Sears store was listed at $53 million at the Oct. 30, 2023 meeting, while the municipality could potentially get close to $10 million by selling the current Civic Centre and library buildings.
Renovating the current Civic Centre was listed at $ 37 million.
Jubenville said several financial aspects of the Community Hub are not reflected in the $53-million redevelopment estimate, including several lifecycle and infrastructure expenses and the $15-20 million cost of building a new firehall compared to the $6.8-million cost to renovate the current No. 1 station in the Civic Centre.
“Freedom of Information requests from the public regarding the detailed costing of $ 53 million has not been provided for Council’s open and transparent mandate,” Jubenville said in her notice of motion.
She said presentations to the public have “significantly favoured the Sears’ renovation,” the alternative $27-million upgrade proposal for the Civic Centre has been “completely eliminated from the business case.
“There is great public opposition for the Community Hub; taxpayers and residents of Chatham-Kent are not being heard or acknowledged,” Jubenville said.
The North Kent councillor is calling for administration to halt any further expenditures or project movement, and to validate the buy-back policy, and compel the sellers of 100 King St. CK Holdings Inc. to buy back the property and building.
She also directed the administration to proceed with the maintenance and upgrade of the Civic Centre, which is estimated to cost between $11 million and $27 million.
Jubenville’s second motion directs administration to complete a report pursuant to the Referendum Act and the Municipal Elections Act “on how to proceed in the most efficient and fiscally responsible way with a referendum in Chatham-Kent regarding public opinion on the downtown Community Hub project and that no further financial or physical operation proceeds until the results of the referendum are known and carried out.”
Judy Smith, Director of Municipal Governance/Clerk, said in an email that if council approves Jubenville’s motion for a referendum, administration will prepare a report outlining the details of the process, the notice needed, the appeal process, and the costs.
The report will also explain the requirements for implementing the decision if the question is put on the ballot, but it would have to wait until the next Municipal Election on Oct. 26, 2026.
There has not been a question on the ballot since Chatham-Kent amalgamated in 1998.
Storey also entered a notice of motion for the Oct. 21 meeting that all planning and design works for the old Sears building should exceed current 20-year-old accessibility legislation and consider future legislation proposed to come in 2025.
Earlier in the night, Council voted 15-1 in favour of Storey’s motion to allow public deputations on the Community Hub at the Oct. 21 meeting.
Mayor Canniff cast the lone dissenting vote.
In their Sept. 18 media release, the Municipality deputations would not be allowed at the Oct. 21 Council meeting because the public had opportunities to voice their opinions during a public open house and online surveys.
“Every citizen has the right to address their elected officials on any issue, especially when it comes to the old Sears building proposal, which is shaping up to be one of the most expensive proposals in the history of Chatham-Kent,” Storey said.
The municipality posted its Community Hub project update on its Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent website – www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca/community-hub
The post includes a 13-page Project Update, a 35-page Detail Design Concept appendix, a 34-page Design Brief, a single-page Financial Plan and a 1,027-page Stakeholder Engagement and Public Consultation Summary.
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