
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.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Enmax electrical workers vote to authorize strike as bargaining continues
Electrical workers with Enmax have passed a strike authorization vote, granting the union's membership the right to issue strike notice to the City of Calgary-owned utility. The vote is the latest development in ongoing negotiations between Enmax and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 254 following the expiration of the previous collective agreement, which covered 389 employees, on Dec. 31, 2024. Brad Dougherty, the union's business manager, told CBC News that the membership is "motivated to get a deal done at the table" and that negotiations with Enmax will take place this week. The strike authorization vote saw a 99.5 per cent member turnout, with 98.9 per cent voting in favour of authorizing job action. The vote, which was certified by the Alberta Labour Relations Board on June 2, gives IBEW Local 254 the right to serve 72-hour strike notice to Enmax within 120 days. Enmax power line technicians, power system electricians, boom truck operators and warehouse workers are among IBEW Local 254's members. Dougherty declined to provide specific details about the union's concerns with the now-expired contract, with a release sent by the union stating "key issues around wages and benefits remain unsolved." In a statement sent to CBC News, Enmax said that over the last several months it has been working with IBEW Local 254 toward renewing the collective agreement. The utility said it was "disappointed by the vote outcome" and confirmed that notice had been received regarding the union's vote in favour of supporting a strike. "We value our union team members and remain hopeful we can reach a fair and balanced agreement without disruption to our operations," Enmax said. The collective bargaining process has been ongoing since last year, with formal mediation between the union and Enmax leaving the two at an impasse. "Really, we're just looking to achieve something that's fair for our membership, and recognizing the value that they bring both to the organization and to the city as a whole," Dougherty said.

National Post
4 hours ago
- National Post
WSIB Rejects Unions Latest Offer
Article content TORONTO — After hearing nothing from the employer for over a week, the union and employer met to exchange proposals, but remain far apart on wages, workload, and employer cuts to seniority rights. The union has made significant movements to try and find a fair compromise, but after significant setbacks, the mediator made the decision to call-off the mediation. Article content OCEU is deeply disappointed that the employer rejected our proposal and hasn't presented their own in over a week. The union amended our proposal in the spirit of negotiation to bring the employer closer to addressing the workload issues which are impacting our members health and well-being. Despite our reasonable offer, the employer still refused to counter our proposal. Article content Article content OCEU/CUPE 1750 remains available to negotiate but needs to see a meaningful move by the employer to meet our members core needs. Picket lines will continue until a fair deal is reached. Article content mb/cope491 Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content Article content


CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
CTV National News: Poll shows Canadians divided on Trump's Golden Dome missile defence proposal
Watch Exclusive CTV polling shows Canadians divided on Trump's missile defence plan, as doubts grow over its future without Canada's involvement. CTV's Colton Praill reports.