Although the Kingsway Entertainment District’s cancellation feels like old news, Greater Sudbury city council delivered an even more definitive death blow during tonight’s meeting.
In addition to dealing with basic housekeeping matters to formally discontinue the project, city council sought to send a clear message to the public that the long-discussed project is over.
Further, whatever incarnation of city council that comes out of the Oct. 24 election will be starting the process of repairing or replacing the Sudbury Community Arena from a “clean slate,” as Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier put it – albeit with a strong foundation of knowledge.
The KED was a proposed municipal arena/events centre to be built on The Kingsway alongside a private casino and hotel, with all three buildings to be joined by a shared public outdoor space called Festival Square.
With the municipal share of the project’s total projected budget ballooning from its original $100 million to $215 million in July, city council unanimously rejected administration’s latest proposal, effectively ending their involvement.
Tonight’s city council meeting saw the city’s elected officials formally rescind their direction of last year for city administration to proceed with making the project a reality.
Then, they rejected a proposal by city administration for the project’s progressive design-build RFP and venue manager RFP processes to remain open until July 31, 2023.
The recommendation to keep these processes open wouldn’t have cost the city any money or obligate the next city council to do anything, city executive director of strategic initiatives, communications and citizen services Ian Wood explained to city council.
By keeping the processes open, he said the next city council could save money in the event they decide to proceed with some kind of arena/events centre project.
“Really, the recommendation was about saving some of the cost and energy of doing a procurement in both the venue manager and the progressive design-build,” he said – a point Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan supported.
“The new council’s going to have to make the decisions,” Kirwan said. “This isn’t interfering with any decision the new council makes.”
Wood later clarified he wouldn’t want to hazard a guess as to how much money would be saved by keeping the RFPs open.
In response, Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier argued that killing the KED in one motion and prolonging the life of certain elements in another sends mixed messages to the public.
Since it’s extremely unlikely the next city council moves forward with a project similar enough to the $215-million KED that the RFPs would remain relevant, he argued in favour of starting “fresh and clean with a new plan, a new design, new requirements.”
You don’t pick a contractor and then do the design, he added.
“The right way to go is a clean slate,” he said. “It’s cleansing the palate.”
Voting against retaining elements from the KED process is “about clarity,” Mayor Brian Bigger later added.
The counterpoint delivered by Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc is that retaining the existing RFPs wouldn’t cost the city anything and wouldn’t obligate the next city council to anything.
In the end, Leduc was the only member to vote against the resolution as amended by Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier, which eliminated retaining the existing RFPs.
The KED was originally slated to replace the Sudbury Community Arena, and a resolution passed during tonight’s meeting will help prepare the next incarnation of city council to consider future plans in relation to the 70-year-old downtown building.
The motion, passed unanimously by city council, will have city administration produce a background report by mid-2023 “to update the building condition assessment and operational effectiveness analysis of the Sudbury Community Arena and provide a high-level summary of options for its replacement or renovation.”
This summary will include comparisons of facility size, amenities and business approach with event centres in other Canadian Hockey League communities.
City council got through approximately half of tonight’s agenda, meaning the balance will automatically shift to their next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 4. That is, unless an additional regular city council meeting is added to the schedule before then.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
