The original plan for the Downtown Chatham Centre (DCC) is being watered down.
A report going to Chatham-Kent Council on Monday evening suggests a new plan that doesn't include a 4,000 seat entertainment complex with an arena because the owners no longer believe it's feasible.
"The Entertainment Complex was a significant aspect of the Imagine Chatham-Kent proposal which garnered some public interest; however, this element of the Imagine Chatham-Kent proposal will not be proceeding," wrote Chatham-Kent's General Manager of Development Services Bruce McAllister in his report.
Instead, the owner group intends on maintaining and refurbishing the mall and has advised the municipality it's seeking long term leases for the mall tenants in an attempt to "revitalize" the mall.
"The Investor Group has recently secured some longer leases, so it seems unlikely that a redevelopment of the mall for other purposes is imminent as the Investor Group has advised they want the DCC to be a top tier mall," the report stated.
Under the new proposal, the municipality is also being asked to buy the former Sears building and relocate some municipal services to the site.
The new plan also means no more outdoor promenade and "no guaranteed bid" for the three existing municipal buildings, the Civic Centre, Chatham Library branch, and CK Museum/Thames Art Gallery, expected to be made redundant with the redevelopment of the DCC.
A follow-up report is expected to come back to council on October 30, 2023 following more public consultation.
Over the years, the municipality has not been shy about telling the public how old and decrepit the 46-year-old Civic Centre is and that it needs "significant" renovations to continue operations.
The report suggests buying the former Sears building to relocate the Civic Centre along with other community assets is one option that could address the issue. That option has a price tag of nearly $42.4 million.
Other options include doing nothing and addressing issues as needed, renovating the existing Civic Centre at a cost of $30-35 million, expanding the library and cultural centre that would bring the price tag up another $8.7-$10.8 million, and building a new Civic Centre at a new location with a price tag of $70-$80 million.
Administration has previously estimated the cost of renovating the former Sears building at $53 million and the parking garage at another $1.5 million. The municipality could recoup roughly $8.3 million if they sold the current Civic Centre and library branch. The Civic Centre is appraised at $6.6 million and the library branch is worth an estimated $1.66 million.
