Nearly seven years after the project was first announced, construction at the ‘Boardwalk on the Thames’ condominium in downtown Chatham is slowly gaining speed.
Work on the project began in 2010, but developer Victor Boutin tells CTV News there have been countless delays, from the foundation to the balconies.
Boutin says the labour force is not as skilled as well.
“In Toronto we got all the trades lined up and they know exactly what we want and they got experience in that type of construction,” says Boutin. “But here, we cannot find any trade with that kind of experience."
The Everlast Group owner now says the 88-unit building should be complete by Christmas 2017.
But Councillor Michael Bondy is more pessimistic and thinks the Christmas completion date is “pretty optimistic.”
Bondy also suggests the long construction process has damaged downtown morale.
But Site Supervisor Brian Chute is confident the work will be done on time.
“Right now we have windows being installed, doors being installed, different insulations being added to the building," says Chute.
Chute claims Boutin invested close to $30 million in Chatham-Kent and has other plans once this project is complete.
“I am hoping to do the best for the people of Chatham and they going to be happy when I finish,” says Boutin. “I hope they're going to wish that I come back to do some more buildings."
