Ontario city set for new arena

Greater Sudbury City Council has voted in favour of proceeding with plans for a new arena in the Canadian city.

The venue will be located in Greater Sudbury’s downtown South District and will cost an estimated C$200m (£117m/€136m/$145m). Sudbury is located in Northern Ontario.

Yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) vote came after the council in September directed staff to provide more detailed analysis on two options: a newbuild event centre and a renovation of the Sudbury Community Arena. The Sudbury Community Arena has a seated capacity of around 4,600 and stages ice hockey games and other events.

Council staff engaged two third-party experts to assist with the analysis of the two options, with a structural condition assessment carried out at the Sudbury Community Arena, which opened in the 1950s.

Staff concluded that a new event centre will provide the best opportunity to meet the council’s objectives with the least impact, the greatest opportunity for complementary investment and the least risk during construction.

According to the council, the new venue will directly provide capital investments that support community goals for downtown renewal, asset renewal, climate change leadership and economic development.

The council did not provide specific details on the plans, but CBC reported that the venue will feature 5,800 seats. Work on the arena could begin by 2026.

Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre said: “The decision to build a new event centre aligns with Council’s vision for redevelopment of downtown’s South District. This is an important investment in our city’s future.

“Part of building a healthy and prosperous city means pursuing opportunities for growth, investment and employment. Making thoughtful investments in community infrastructure, specifically in the South District of downtown, will not just present a welcoming image for residents and visitors, but will send a confident message to businesses and investors.”

Last year, the council voted to acquire several properties in the South District, and this land will be available for redevelopment. Choices about specific future land uses in the South District will be subject to further consideration.

The council said the new facility will cost around C$200m, with this estimate to require up to C$135m in additional financing. This will fall within the council’s debt management policy and provincial limits on municipal debt levels.

A request for proposal process will now be carried out to appoint a lead architect and engineering team for the project. A project director will also be recruited, and the council will begin the process to identify a specific site for the new event centre.