Chatham-Kent Community Hub

October 21 - Chatham-Kent Community Hub Project Moves Forward as Construction Contract Award Approved

Chatham-Kent Council has officially approved the award for the construction of the new Chatham-Kent Community Hub, marking a major milestone in one of the most significant infrastructure projects in the municipality’s history.

The contract has been awarded to Fortis Construction Group Inc. of Tecumseh, Ontario, for a total value of $39,280,323 (including HST rebate), coming in $3.6 million under the estimated construction cost.

With the contract now approved, the project will move forward into the construction phase, with work expected to begin in December 2025. The new Community Hub will bring together the Chatham Civic Centre, Chatham Branch of the Chatham-Kent Public Library, and the Chatham-Kent Museum into a single, accessible, and energy-efficient facility located at 130 King St. West in downtown Chatham. This project will also support the Municipality’s Asset Management Plan by replacing aging facilities and reducing long-term infrastructure costs.

Mayor Darrin Canniff said this decision represents a major step forward for the community:

“This is an exciting moment for Chatham-Kent. The Community Hub will be a cornerstone for civic life. It will be a place that connects our residents to services, culture, learning, and community. The fact that this project is moving ahead, and already under budget, is a testament to the strong planning and fiscal responsibility behind it. This is an investment in the future of Chatham-Kent and it will serve generations to come.”

Construction is expected to be completed by early 2028, with the facility opening shortly afterward. The project is designed to meet the highest standards for accessibility, energy efficiency, and public service delivery, while consolidating key municipal and cultural services under one roof.

Importantly, the construction of the Chatham-Kent Community Hub will move forward without any new property tax increases, as the project is being funded through a combination of property sales, existing reserves, and long-term financing within the Municipality’s existing budget.

The creation of the Chatham-Kent Community Hub will not result in the closure of any rural libraries or municipal service centres, ensuring that residents across Chatham-Kent continue to have convenient access to local services.

October 6, 2025 - Recommended Bid for the Chatham-Kent Community Hub Project Comes in Under Budget

Chatham-Kent Council will be voting on the tender award for the Chatham-Kent Community Hub (CKCH) project, with the recommended bid for construction services coming in below original cost estimates.

Following a competitive procurement process, Fortis Construction Group Inc., based in Tecumseh, Ontario, is being recommended to lead construction of the CKCH at the former Sears building in downtown Chatham. The total construction services contract, valued at $39,280,323 (including HST rebate), comes in under the previously projected budget. The initial budget estimation for construction was $42,920,000. There are significant contingency funds included in the tender to budget for the unexpected. The construction services contract bid excluding contingency funds and taxes is $35,200,946.

The overall project budget remains at $52.8 million including over $7 million of contingency funds that are best practice for project of this size, which aligns with the cost estimate presented to Council in May 2025. The funding plan ensures should Council vote to move forward, that the project will proceed without requiring any related property tax increases. This budget includes contingencies for tariff impacts.

Funding for the project will come from a combination of property sales, reserves, development charges, and a debenture, with no additional tax levy increases required. There is a strong potential of donations and naming rights attracted to this project to further support and reduce the final debenture required. In the current funding model, $0 donations or naming rights have been included.

“We’re committed to ensuring this project proceeds in a financially responsible manner, so seeing the recommended bid come in under budget is extremely exciting,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “This project is one of the most significant investments in our community’s future, and it’s something we’ve been saving for for many years. We can't afford to not do this; the alternative options are more expensive and don't offer nearly as many benefits to the community. I am committed to seeing this project progress responsibly, sustainably, and for the betterment of all of Chatham-Kent.”

Should Council award the tender, construction is expected to begin in December 2025 with completion anticipated in early 2028. Once open, the Hub will not only serve as a central destination for civic and cultural services but will also support the Municipality’s Asset Management Plan by replacing aging facilities and reducing long-term infrastructure costs.

The Chatham-Kent Community Hub will bring together a new Civic Centre, Library, and Museum under one roof, consolidating municipal services into a modern, accessible, and energy-efficient facility. The project is designed with a strong focus on accessibility, inclusivity, enhanced services, and community input, reflecting feedback gathered during public consultations.

See the report here:

• RFP Award Contract R25-305 Chatham-Kent Community Hub.pdf (348 KB) (pdf)

May 12, 2025 - Council Votes to Enter Construction Procurement Phase for Chatham-Kent Community Hub

Chatham-Kent Council has voted 12 to 5 in favour of proceeding to the Construction Procurement Phase for the Chatham-Kent Community Hub (CKCH) project. This vote gives administration direction to proceed with issuing a competitive bid to qualified firms capable of delivering the project within the defined scope, timeline, and budget constraints.

Once a successful proponent is identified for the general construction, administration will bring a report to Council who will again vote on whether to award the construction contract, in accordance with Purchasing By-Law #205-2023. This phase is expected to take the summer with the return to Council at a September meeting.

The cost estimate for the project is $52,883,598 (inclusive of tax after rebate), which remains within the Council-approved $53 million budget. This estimate includes all essential project components, such as building acquisition, construction, consulting services, furnishings, relocations, and contingencies (including contingency for potential tariff impacts).

The CKCH project is fully funded with no impact to Municipal property taxes due to strategic building funding by Council over the past decade as part of the Asset Management Plan funding. Once the Construction Procurement Phase is completed, and if Council votes to move forward, they will have the opportunity to declare the Library and Civic Centre to be surplus properties. The proceeds from the sale of these properties will be used to offset some of the CKCH construction cost, enabling them to be redeveloped.

“This is a truly transformative project for our community, one that proves we as Council are committed to investing in the future of Chatham-Kent,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “The CK Community Hub is a project that positions Chatham-Kent well for the future and will bring with it benefits to residents of all ages for years to come. Council is showing our dedication to bettering our entire community through strategic, future-oriented investment. This is the most fiscally responsible option, and we are committed to ensuring this project remains within the Council-approved budget and will be financially beneficial to everyone in CK.”

The proposed CKCH design expands the current 78,160 square feet of municipal space spread over three separate sites to 119,278 square feet of shared space, which is a 52% increase. The proposed CKCH design emphasizes accessibility, integrating features such as assistive technologies and adaptable spaces to both meet and exceed current AODA standards, ensuring accessibility for all Chatham-Kent residents.

The proposed design also reflects significant community input and consultation with community groups such as the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), the Age-Friendly Committee (AFC), the Museum Advisory Committee and the Chatham-Kent Public Library Board, supporting a facility that is accessible, age-friendly and meets the needs of our important community groups.

April 30, 2025 - Chatham-Kent Community Hub - Detailed Design Phase Report to Council

Executive Summary

Administration has completed the Detailed Design for the Chatham-Kent Community Hub (CKCH), which reimagines the former Sears building at 100 King Street as a modern, accessible, and inclusive municipal space. This project consolidates services currently housed in the Civic Centre, Chatham Library branch, and Chatham-Kent Museum into one shared building.

Cost

The Class 'A' Cost Estimate for the project is $52,883,598 (inclusive of tax after rebate), which remains within the Council-approved $53 million budget. This estimate includes all essential project components, such as building acquisition, construction, consulting services, furnishings, relocations, and contingencies (including contingency for potential tariff impacts).

Cost Comparison (to upgrade existing facilities):

Recognizing that ‘something must be done’ in terms of fixing existing municipal facilities, and in contrast with the CKCH pricing above, a high-level cost comparison reveals that upgrading the current Civic Centre, Chatham Library branch, and Chatham-Kent Museum separately to meet the proposed CKCK standards for accessibility, energy efficiency, modernized infrastructure, and public service delivery, would total over $108 million—more than double the proposed CKCH project cost. Individual costs:

- Civic Centre: $54,114,740
- Library: $34,744,040
- Museum: $19,405,750

This is a total of $108,264,530, meaning upgrading the three existing facilities separately would be $55.26 million more expensive, requiring a larger debenture along with a potential significant property tax impact for Chatham-Kent residents. A detailed breakdown of these figures is provided in the report.

Facility and Accessibility

Acknowledging our growing population, the CKCH design expands the current 78,160 square feet of municipal space spread over three separate sites to 119,278 square feet of shared space—a 52% increase. The proposed CKCH design emphasizes accessibility, integrating features such as assistive technologies and adaptable spaces to both meet and exceed current AODA standards, ensuring accessibility for all Chatham-Kent residents.

The proposed CKCH design reflects significant community input and consultation with community groups such as the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), the Age-Friendly Committee (AFC), the Museum Advisory Committee and the Chatham-Kent Public Library Board, supporting a facility that is accessible, age-friendly and meets the needs of our important community groups.

Funding

The CKCH is fully funded with no impact to property taxes due to strategic building funding by Council over the past decade as part of the Asset Management Plan funding. Once the CKCH is completed Council will have the opportunity to declare the Library and Civic Centre to be surplus properties with proceeds offsetting some CKCH capital cost, enabling their redevelopment and additions to the downtown area. There also will be naming rights opportunities and potential for donations to the library and museum portions if Council decides to proceed to tender. A debenture will be issued for cash flow purposes at today’s historically low rates as detailed in the funding plan included in the report.

Recommendation

Administration recommends proceeding to the Construction Procurement Phase, issuing a competitive bid to qualified firms capable of delivering the project within the defined scope, timeline, and budget constraints. Once the successful applicant is identified for the general construction, Administration will be bringing a report to Council for award of the construction contract, in accordance with Purchasing By-Law #205-2023. The timeline for competitive tendering is expected to take the summer with the return to Council at a September meeting.

The CKCH supports a smaller footprint for Civic Centre staff reflecting todays needs, an energy efficient and fully accessible design, co-location of services for residents and new library and museum, all without impacts to property taxes.

Click on the links below to review the full Council report and its appendices:

• Report to Council – Chatham-Kent Community Hub – Detailed Design Phase
• Appendix A - Detailed Design Package
• Appendix B - High-Level Cost Comparison
• Appendix C - Accessibility Presentation
  
• Appendix D - ACC and AFC Meeting Summary and Feedback
• Appendix E - CKCH Class 'A' Cost Estimate
• Appendix F - CKCH Financial Plan
• CKCH Media Presentation

The Chatham-Kent Community Hub (CKCH) project is a large and complex undertaking and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent remains committed to ensuring that the public is informed and their opinions are considered throughout the process.

Throughout the Chatham-Kent Community Hub project, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent has facilitated multiple opportunities for public engagement. To date, there have been three public information sessions, attended by over 300 residents, and two online public surveys conducted through the Let’s Talk platform, each garnering over 1,000 responses. There have also been three Stakeholder Engagement meetings, which were held to ensure that the lived and practiced experiences from community stakeholders are heard, considered, and reflected when designs for the proposed Chatham-Kent Community Hub are being developed. The Stakeholder Engagement Group includes representatives from the CK Public Library Board, the Accessibility Advisory Committee, the Municipal Museums Advisory Committee, and the Gallery Advisory Committee. These stakeholders represent their respective boards and committees and bring feedback and input from their groups for consideration as the project progresses. There have also been several 1-on-1 meetings with local advisory committees and boards throughout the process.

On October 21, Council voted to continue forward with the Chatham-Kent Community Hub project. This vote gives administration direction to proceed with the detailed design phase of the project and hire a contracted project manager to facilitate to project. Councillor Anthony Ceccacci added two amendments to the motion to ensure financial accountability throughout the project through the creation of a fixed-cost Request for Proposal and to provide high level cost estimates for upgrading the Civic Centre, Museum and Library (including expanding it to 35,000 sq. ft. as is recommended in the Library Masterplan).

• Report to Council – Chatham-Kent Community Hub – Project Update
• Appendix A – Detailed Design Concept Drawings
• Appendix B – Design Briefs
• Appendix C – Preliminary Financial Plan
  
• Appendix D – Stakeholder Engagement & Public Consultation Feedback Summary
  

Report to Council Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D