The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is reporting that Phase 2 of a regional park in Chatham is about to start and the construction of the entire park should be mostly done by the end of the year.
CK Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities Rob Pollock will update councillors on the project's progress at its meeting on Monday night, telling them Phase 2 is set to start in late summer.
Pollock said all of the infrastructure work for Phase 1 is complete and the park along Bear Line Road should be mostly ready in about six months, although some work may be required early next year to put a bow on it.
"Work may be required in early 2026 to finish some aspects of Phase 2 and to ensure all components are commissioned appropriately," wrote Pollock in his information report.
He said the tennis dome should also be complete in October.
Phase 1 included servicing the park with water, sewers, electricity, and parking lot lights, according to Pollock.
Phase 2 includes 10 pickleball courts with lights, two sports courts with lights designed for 3-on-3 basketball courts, washrooms, a maintenance building, accessible trails for the front half of the park, landscaping, benches, and bike racks, Pollock noted.
Phase 3 is expected to be the final phase of the project and will include the construction of a cricket pitch, a soccer/rugby field, fencing, a playground area, bleachers, field lights, more washrooms, and more trails for the remainder of the park.
Pollock added that a multi-purpose indoor soccer facility on the site is also being investigated, although the current park design does not meet the requirements of such a facility on the site.
He noted an indoor multi-use soccer facility could be part of the project if some Phase 3 facilities are moved to other sites.
"During the design of the park infrastructure including the civil design, a structure for an indoor multi-use soccer facility was not considered as this area of the park was designed for an outdoor field area," Pollock wrote. "The civil design would need to be changed along with the overall design of the park to ensure proper access to a new facility to meet fire access and other requirements."
Administration is currently updating the Parks and Recreation Master Plan to give the municipality direction on these types of facilities.
A public open house is scheduled for Thursday, June 19, 2025 at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre, Meeting Room 1A, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
According to Pollock, work is underway to install trees this year throughout the park to provide shelter from the wind and shade for patrons.
Administration will also be looking at grants and sponsorship of amenities throughout the park to help offset development costs.
The municipality has put aside $3.5 million for the park.
St. Clair College donated 19.5 acres of land to the municipality for the regional park in 2023.