ERCA looking for $100k for heritage centre at John R. Park Homestead

The Essex Region Conservation Authority is looking for $100,000 from the Town of Essex for a new reception centre at John R. Park Homestead.

The centre, which ERCA plans to use for educational and entertainment purposes, has already received $600,000 from the federal government.

Project lead Kevin Money said what ERCA is calling a heritage centrewill improve tourism in the winery region along County Road 50.

"We're currently constrained as it relates to our events because of concerns about things like the size of our washrooms, the size of our welcoming area and warming area ... a lot of our events are in the cold weather," said Money.

"We're going to be increasing the number of washrooms and making those washrooms fully accessible."

The existing two washrooms "just don't cut it" when you have 60 kindergarten students in snowsuits,Money added.

According to ERCA, the primary use of the building will be for day programs.

ERCA doesn't expect anincrease in rentalsnor does it plan to hold additional events at the new space.

The request for funding was deferred to upcoming budget discussions, but Essex councillor and ERCA board member Chris Vander Doelen doesn't think something like a reception centre should be funded by the government.

"We have 11community centres of our own that we struggle to support," said Vander Doelen. "Why would we be subsidizing another agency to do the same thing in competition with us?"

Vander Doelen said he's spoken with wineries and other stakeholders in the region who are very concerned about the prospect of a competing facility.

"Some of these companies have anywhere from $3 [million] to $15 millioninvested in their own reception centres," said Vander Doelen. "It's a big private sector business ... we don't need government to compete in that space."

Vander Doelen suggested ERCA could look to other area municipalities for some of the funding, since the educational programming supports students across Windsor-Essex.

Money said the heritage centre will go ahead even without town funding.

The Town of Essex will hold 2020 budget deliberations Jan. 13.