Council To Discuss Potential $56-Million Arena For CK

Chatham-Kent Council will discuss the potential for a new arena complex to be built in Chatham-Kent at Monday’s council meeting, with a price tag listed as high as $56-million for a new twin-pad arena.

According to a document developed by Chatham-Kent Chief Administrative Officer Don Shropshire, the new twin-pad arena would replace Memorial Arena and Erickson Arena in Chatham. The closure, demolition, or management of said properties was not clarified, nor assigned a price tag in the document.

The other recommendations listed also included planning, a site analysis, and financing.

The main pad of the proposed arena is being examined with two options, one a 4,200 seat facility, and the other a 2,200 seat facility, with costs ranging from $25-$56 million, although according to the report,’

“Neither estimate includes site acquisition, site remediation, servicing costs, or revenues such as grants and donations.”

While the price tag seems hefty, including up to $1 million in annual operating costs, Chatham-Kent administration hope the new complex would provide an economic boost for the community.

“Potential economic benefits may also arise indirectly from the arena. These include an increased capacity for sport and event hosting, increased visitor/tourism spending, and complementary investment and development from the private sector around the arena such as hotels, restaurants, residential properties, and retail facilities,” the report reads.

The twin-pad arena is the first public item on Monday’s Council Meeting Agenda.