Stakeholders review draft Chatham-Kent community hub design

Stakeholder engagement is underway for the proposed Chatham-Kent community hub, which would see the civic center, library and museum move to part of the Downtown Chatham Centre.

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During a recent meeting at the Cultural Centre, the group reviewed initial draft designs of the first and second floor to ensure the needs of their respective organizations are met.

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The session marked the first of three meetings planned with this group, a municipal release said.

Representatives of Chatham-Kent’s public library board, and its accessibility, municipal museums and gallery advisory committees took part and will offer feedback from their groups as the process unfolds.

“(The) meeting was an excellent first engagement exercise with our very knowledgeable stakeholders,” said Edward Soldo, Chatham-Kent’s infrastructure and engineering manager.

“As we move along the project timeline, we want to be sure that the voices of those using and working in these facilities are being heard. This project has the potential to reshape our community, so we want to make sure we have community input throughout.”

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The proposed hub is a multi-year project currently in its second phase. The first phase was completed last October when council authorized purchase of the former Sears portion of the mall.

The current phase, expected to last until summer, established the stakeholder engagement group and created detailed concept designs. It will also allow for public engagement.

At the end of this phase, the project will come before council with an updated cost estimate, for a decision on whether to continue.

If approved, the third phase would involve finalizing the designs, tendering costs, construction procurement, and pending approval, start of construction.

For more information, visit letstalkchatham-kent.ca/community-hub.

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