John Lindsay, who is running for city council in Ward 11 in the upcoming municipal election, said the Place des Arts francophone arts centre is being built in the wrong location.
Before the shovels go in the ground in the soon-to-be-built project, “serious reconsideration” should be given to its location, he said, adding that it's going to be located in a a city-owned parking lot in the center of the downtown commercial district.
This arts facility is not a financial intuition, dentist, doctor or legal office, retail business, or eating establishment, Lindsay said.
It will take up valuable parking spaces for those frequenting these establishments and services.
As an arts facility, it would be better located closer to similar establishments, including Sudbury Theatre Centre, Arena and the Arts Shops on upper Elgin Street on city-owned land in that area.
It is puzzling why the Chamber of Commerce, the downtown business improvement organization, local businesses, city planners and city council did not question or oppose the removal of client and customer parking availability and the economic and cultural viability of the downtown, said the press release.
Lindsay said it's also curious why the proponents for Place des Arts spaces did not realize that removal of parking, already limited with the loss of hundreds of spaces with the construction of the School of Architecture, would exacerbate the parking situation for patrons of the facility itself.
Sudbury is a motor vehicle mobile community with few walking or biking or use public transit to arrive at their destination, the press release said.
To ignore this reality and to limit convenient parking available is counterproductive and ultimately damaging to what should be the desired objectives of more citizen usage of downtown amenities, he said.
“It is not too late to make the right decision for the right reasons for the benefit of all,” Lindsay said.
