SUDBURY -- Officials in Greater Sudbury say they are ready to move into the next phase of the Junction East project, which involves building a new library and art gallery downtown.

At news conference over Zoom on Thursday afternoon, Greater Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre and Nickel Belt MP Marc Serre in announced the federal government is contributing $500,000 for the next phase.

"The site is adjacent to the theatre centre and you know what's so incredibly important to this project are the partnerships, the multicultural aspects," said Mayor Brian Bigger.

While the design firm that is leading this next stage is promising community consultation, they're also promising Indigenous consultation with both urban Indigenous and communities around the city itself.

"Super excited to be here and, as was said many times, as was it's been a long time coming," said Lefebvre, who touted the importance the art scene has in helping the city attract new residents.

Many unknowns

There are, however, a lot of unknowns associated with the project.

The city has experienced a lot of challenges in getting some of its larger-scale infrastructure projects off the ground in years past, projects like the Maley Drive extension and the Kingsway Entertainment District.

Bigger was asked what kind of assurances he could offer to ensure this project would be different.

"You know, we are absolutely moving forward," he said. "Once we have a design, we'll follow through with RFPs for construction. We're definitely on that track."

And while cost overruns are to be expected due to new design elements that have been added with the Multicultural Folk Arts Association and the Sudbury Theatre Centre, it's unclear how much COVID-19 will be adding to the bill.

"That is one of the answers that we'll gain through this process, so I think there are some pressures related to COVID," said Ian Wood, the city's executive director of strategic initiatives, communications and citizen services.

Wood was unable to offer an exact timeline on when citizens could expect to see shovels in the ground at the site, located between Shaughnessy and Paris streets.

He said if all goes well, he hopes to have some design plans for council to greenlight by the end of the year, and construction could start in 2022.

It could be awhile before we see any momentum on the Junction West project, which could include convention space and a hotel. City council is now looking at a feasibility study of the events centre and they will be studying that same piece of property for a potential arena.

The events centre report is not expected until later this year, potentially sometime in June.