Councillors who were originally opposed to the Community Hub project are still not convinced after the construction contract came in under the estimated budget.
On Monday, the municipality announced that the total construction contract for the Chatham-Kent Community Hub (CKCH) would be $39,280,323, which is close to $4 million below the budget estimate.
However, Councillor Alysson Storey is concerned that there may still be higher costs attached to the construction that have not yet been identified.
“If we're going to double the size of our museum and almost double the size or more than double the size of our museum and almost double the size of our library, will we need more staff to do that? Will we need any increase in operating budgets? How does it impact our overall budget? So, those are the types of questions that I don't believe I've seen answered in this report,” said Storey.
Given the current economic climate, Storey found it intriguing that, considering inflation, supply chain issues, and tariffs, the construction estimate came in under budget.
“Kudos to the applicants for managing to generate that number, but I will look forward to going over this with a fine-tooth comb and then making sure that we have the whole picture with the operating costs, with the long-term maintenance, because construction costs are only one piece of a much bigger financial puzzle,” Storey continued.
Even with the contract coming in under the original budget, the $4 million saved is really only 10 per cent of the whole project, according to Councillor Michael Bondy.
“I don't think it's necessary. We don't need a new library, we don't need a new museum, the Civic Center obviously has to be fixed, but the other two are completely and totally nice to do, they're just not must-dos,” said Bondy.
He also noted the public pushback he has received.
“The public is deeply opposed to it, in my opinion, and what I've received from the public has been like a 95 to five per cent imbalance on negativity towards this thing. So, I'm responding primarily to my constituents, constituents across all of Chatham-Kent,” Bondy continued.
He added that this is not his first rodeo with mega projects and that they "always" go over budget.
“I've been through enough mega projects in this town to know that nothing comes in on budget, like nothing,” Bondy said. “That stuff doesn't mean much to me because I've been around long enough to know that budgets are forecast, kind of like the weather, and that's not usually right either.”
During Monday night's Council meeting, Storey brought forward a notice of motion that would defer the project until a complete ongoing cost of this proposal can be prepared by the administration.
The report would include annual lifecycle costs and potential tax impacts. Storey said she would also like CK's administration to look into the full cost of a project manager, potential annual increases for utilities, maintenance, and security, the cost of expanding the CK museum and the library, and other potential expenses. She hopes to have all this information before the end of the year.
Councillor Rhonda Jubenville, as well as Bondy, will be supporting the motion that will be voted on at the Council meeting on October 20.
