Navistar Site Permanently Off The Table For An Arena…Unless The New Owner Throws A Hail Mary

The most discussed property in all of Chatham-Kent has been bought. For years, the future of the former Navistar site has been under discussion, most notably as a possible location for a new twin-pad arena complex.

“For a number of years, the previous site of Navistar on Richmond Street in Chatham has been vacant,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff on his Facebook page. “I am thrilled to announce that today that the property was officially purchased by local business people. We’re looking forward to hearing about the plans for the development in the coming weeks.”

The site, which is currently zoned as industrial may be re-zoned for the new owners’ plans, which have not been alluded to by the Municipality.

“I’m looking forward to hearing all the exciting plans from the new local owners over the next few weeks we’ll be waiting earnestly to hear from them,” Canniff said in a video. “They’ll be sharing all of the wonderful opportunities they see here and what an exciting time for Chatham-Kent.”

While the public may hold out hope for a “hail Mary” from the new ownership, the proposition of developing an arena on private land, without Municipal, Provincial, and Federal support, is highly unlikely.

The site is almost certainly destined to be used for commercial/industrial purposes, or re-zoned into residential by a local builder.