Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Greater Sudbury has finalized the site for the new Greater Sudbury Event Centre, selecting a location east of the existing 70-year-old arena and noting the following advantages:
- avoidance of major road realignments and costly utility relocations
- preservation of key heritage structures, including the Sudbury Theatre Centre and the Rail Station
- connectivity to existing transportation routes and public spaces
- opportunities for future development, such as hotels or conference centres
- utilization of underused spaces such as Memorial Park and the Tom Davies Square courtyard to support large events
The project was updated in a recent report from Tony Cecutti, Growth and Infrastructure Director.
The site selection process involved city staff, KKR advisors, geotechnical engineers, and various municipal departments.
While soil conditions throughout the area require micro-pilings for foundation support, but overall cost variations are minimal across the site.
A key factor in the selection process was maintaining the dispersed parking model of the Sudbury Community Arena. The impact on parking will depend on the future use of the current arena site, and long-term parking solutions are being explored.
BBB Architects is leading the schematic design phase for the event centre and two U.S.-headquartered companies have been pre-qualified to operate the location, with an RFP set to be issued by the end of March 2025.
The preliminary geotechnical investigation is currently under review by the architectural team. The feedback from this review will guide the detailed geotechnical investigation in support of the foundational design. Additionally, the BBB MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) team is exploring various approaches to enhance the sustainability of the design.
A comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan is set to begin in March 2025, ensuring input from key groups such as the Accessibility Advisory Panel, Sudbury Theatre Centre, and Indigenous communities. The Feb. 18 city council meeting will provide further updates, but no immediate decisions on the projects are expected at this time.