Sudbury's proposed downtown event centre 'at very early stages'

Plans are on track for the proposed events centre in downtown Sudbury, city council heard the latest update on the major project Tuesday night.

The proposed site is currently a collection of parking lots and vacant spaces following the demolition of several buildings, but it will be home to the city's new arena in about four years.

Sudbury plans to build new arena next to old one downtown. Oct. 8, 2024 (Angela Gemmill/CTV Northern Ontario)

Tony Cecutti, the city’s general manager of growth and infrastructure, brought city council up to speed on the $200-million project.

"We’re still at very early stages in the project," he said.

"So we’re doing a lot of the procurements of the professionals that are going to be helping us with the project: a venue manager, a prime architect, a couple other specialists that help with these types of large complex projects."

Once the architect is chosen, the design phase can start.

The new events centre and arena is proposed for an area called the South District and the exact site for the new facility is expected to be selected by January.

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Over the past year, the city has acquired and demolished buildings on Shaughnessy, Elgin and Minto streets making way for the plans. Only one building, Wacky Wings restaurant, is left to come down.

"That property is being acquired through the Expropriations Act and the city has purchased that property," Cecutti said.

"So, they still occupy the land. There will be a period of time, next year sometime, where they’ll be moving out and the city will be proceeding with those demolitions."

Mayor Paul Lefebvre’s office overlooks the site on Brady Street, where he can watch the progress in real-time.

"In a year from now and a bit more, we’ll start seeing it all build up. Then probably a decade of building, we’ll have the event centre. After that, there will be commercial, hotels, convention centres. There’s a lot of ideas and a lot of momentum to really create the South District," Lefebvre said.

"A lot of focus is on that and that will completely change our city and I, certainly, believe for the better."

If all goes as planned, the city expects to begin construction on the event centre in the spring of 2026 and Sudbury could be attending sports games and concerts in the city’s new arena by 2028.