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Bigger tight-lipped on whether KED alternatives are back on the table

'I think it's warranted to have factual, relevant, current information'
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Greater Sudbury mayor Brian Bigger. (File)

Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger says he wants council to be provided with as complete a base of information as possible when it comes to making a decision on the largest investment in the city's history.

City council received a large projects update during their Jan. 20 meeting, and learned that a report that has been requested by Bigger will take a closer look at three potential sites for the city's arena/events centre.

Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan was vocally opposed to the outline of the report that the mayor was requesting, stating, "I don't recall the mayor saying that there would be a comparison in this report of any other locations."

The mayor told Sudbury.com in a Jan. 13 interview that there was a great deal of confusion regarding the details of the Kingsway Entertainment District, both on the part of city councillors and members of the public.

Bigger also stated on record during that interview that the report he was requesting was specific to the KED, the agreements and commitments that are in place, and the full scope of the project, while noting that it wasn't about weighing the Kingsway location against the downtown or the Project Now proposal.

On Jan. 20, however, the mayor appeared to have shifted gears, indicating that three locations would be reported on.

Sudbury.com spoke with the mayor following last week's meeting to find out what had changed in the span of a week and why other options were being weighed again.

"I tried to provide as complete a base of information for council and for the public ... on this project as we have some time to review all of the information that we have available," said Bigger. 

"I was looking at motions that have been brought to council and all the information that we have. There's no recommendations of staff being requested -- it's just to make sure that council has the ability to review the information that we have (and) understand what's relevant, to understand the current situation post-COVID and what our forecasts are, and what the opportunities are as of second quarter this year."

The decision around what he has repeatedly  called the largest investment in Greater Sudbury's history is one that the mayor isn't taking lightly, he said, and while Bigger has requested more information on both a renovation of the downtown arena and a closer look at the Shaughnessy/Minto Street location, he would not say directly that the two options were back on the table.

"The Kingsway Entertainment District was voted on by council, council included a number of elements of that project that they considered important," said Bigger.

"We're two years down the road. There's lots of information around the KED and we've waited patiently for the results from the LPAT and the results from the Superior Court appeals, and so I think at this point in time, there's been a lot of information out in the public realm and I think this is the time to consolidate the information that we base our decisions on."

Bigger made mention of comments raised by Ward 4 Coun. Geoff McCausland, who along with Ward 1 Coun. Mark Signoretti, brought the Project Now proposal to the council table.

"I think councillor McCausland put it right, I think the responsible and prudent thing to do at this point is provide the information that council needs to assure themselves of making good decisions," said Bigger.

The report is expected sometime in the second quarter of this year, between April and June, though it seems likely that it will be toward the later part of the quarter. Council will get an update from staff on Feb. 9 as far as the direction that they will be taking in the preparation of the report.

While non-committal on whether other options for the arena were in fact on the table, Bigger did state that councillors are free to bring forward motions at any time that could open the door to reigniting the arena debate.

"That's always an option at any point in time in any council decision and any discussion that we have," said Bigger. "That's the privilege of any member of council to request that we look at development or bring any motion forward to be debated and voted on in council."

Throughout the course of the interview, Bigger continued to circle back to his point that he was looking to have council provided with the most relevant and up-to-date information as possible, while stating that unlike many reports that are brought before council, this one will not include any recommendations from staff.

"This is a healthy and open debate, everyone on council is very aware at all times of the procedures bylaw and how council operates," said Bigger.

"I've asked for a report and not a recommendation, but so much information has been put out there ... I think it's warranted to have factual, relevant, current information."


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