The Town of Essex has taken another step toward the future development of the Essex Centre Sports Complex.
Town councillors on Monday night unanimously signed off on a plan to fund a Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF) application to help create the expanded complex.
Councillors also accepted a report outlining the benefits of the application.
According to the community services report submitted to councillors Monday night, the anticipated cost of the sports development is $16.7-million. The application, if successful, would cover $10-million of the price tag.
The Town of Essex would be responsible for the remaining cost, using the landfill reserve. However, Mayor Sherry Bondy suggested Monday evening that the Town was open to corporate sponsorships and the sale of naming rights.
Any funding would cover the site work for Batten Side Road and North Malden Road, along with the creation of soccer pitches and ballfields, parking, pedestrian paths, access roads, maintenance facilities, play areas, canteen, and washrooms.
If the Town were to apply immediately, the turnaround could be within four months, meaning an answer could come after the first of 2025.
The CSRIF was created by the provincial government in April, for the expansion of current sports facilities as well as the creation of new ones. Queens Park had set aside $200-million over three years.
The Town of Essex has also opened up a Request for Interest (RFI) for an operator to take a private portion of the land for pickleball courts.