By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A big decision is looming for Chatham-Kent council Oct. 21.
That’s the date elected officials will vote on whether to proceed with the Chatham-Kent Community Hub project in downtown Chatham.
If approved, the development would see the relocation of the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre, the Chatham branch of the public library and the Chatham-Kent Museum to the former Sears building.
However, according to a municipal media release, the Oct. 21 decision is “not the final decision point, but rather a decision to determine if the project will continue into phase three, which, if approved, entails finalization of the designs, tendering of costs, construction procurement and, pending final approval, the commencement of construction.”
Further council decision points are planned for both the first and second quarters of 2025, the release said.
Extensive community feedback from the public will also be considered. This includes public input from three public information sessions attended by more than 300 residents and two online surveys on the Let’s Talk platform that generated more than 1,000 responses.
Three stakeholder engagement meetings were held as well to garner input. The stakeholder engagement group includes representatives from the library board, as well as advisory committees for accessibility, municipal museums, and the Thames Art Gallery.
Several one-on-one meetings with local committees and boards were held throughout the process.
To further ensure public awareness and facilitate transparency, the municipal clerk’s office will release a full report on the matter two weeks prior to the Oct. 21 meeting to ensure time for public review.
In place of deputations, as per the procedural bylaw, the municipality is encouraging residents to email letters of opinion to council@chatham-kent.ca for review prior to the meeting.
The full report, with links to all related materials, will appear on the Let’s Talk CK page Oct 7. The page can be found at letstalkchatham-kent.ca/community-hub.
