Former Navistar property, Richmond Street, Chatham. Photo courtesy of Google Maps.

Chatham-Kent Council members voted unanimously on Monday to approve an extension to the owners of the former Navistar property.

“If there was nothing happening, no progress being made we certainly wouldn’t be recommending an extension,” said Bruce McCallister, Chatham-Kent’s General Manager of Development Services.

“The building is now complete the permits have been issued, same with building number two that is why we are bringing it forward.”

The site owners applied for the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) in 2021 and 22. This program provides grants and incentives to build in Chatham-Kent, and a condition of the program was a deadline of two years to complete the builds.

Last night, council agreed to an 18-month extension, allowing the construction of a warehouse at the corner of Richmond Street and Merritt Avenue to remain eligible in the Building and Planning Fee Rebate Program part of the CIP program.

The second building, will be completed with help from the Property Tax Increment Equivalent Grant. If the development causes the property value to rise, the municipality will give the owners back an amount equivalent to the extra taxes they collected from that increase in value.