Depending who you talk to, news that an OraclePoll found support for building a new arena in Sudbury has dropped by 14 per cent since last year is either a sign support is eroding, or — for staunch supporters — shows the project has enduring appeal.
The poll was commissioned by mayoral candidate Patricia Mills, who released it last week during an event at her campaign headquarters. The survey found that support for an arena dropped from 72 per cent a year ago to 58 per cent today.
“This tells us that the current mayor and council are doing a poor job of leading this project,” Mills said in a news release. “The second question we asked was whether or not citizens supported the financing model developed by the city. The results clearly show that over half of Sudburians do not support tax increases and user fees to pay for the project.”
The poll also shows that current Mayor Brian Bigger has done a poor job promoting the project, Mills said.
“It tells us that we need skillful leadership to make projects like an event centre happen,” she said. “It also tells us that the current financing model for the event centre is not a good deal for the citizens of Greater Sudbury.
“As mayor, I’ll deliver an event centre for our city that we can afford. I’ll make sure we build it right, and I’ll keep you fully informed every step of the way.”
But Bigger, speaking at an event Monday, said his takeway from the poll was that a clear majority still supported building a new arena.
"I think the arena has got the support of 60 per cent of residents, and so 60 per cent of residents want a new events centre, 60 per cent of residents want a new events centre on The Kingsway,” he said. “I'm the mayor, I'm representing the interests of the citizens and I'm representing the decision of council made in June of last year."
Bigger also took aim at media reports last week that quoted Hilton Hotels as saying they are not part of the $8.5-million cost-sharing agreement being negotiated to clear land on The Kingsway site. While a spokesperson for Hilton said it's “factually incorrect” to say the company is part of the plan, Bigger said neither staff nor council ever said they were.
“What's happening here is that any franchise — you pick a franchise, I don't care if it's a Subway sandwich shop — the franchise is not the one developing the land and constructing the building, it's the franchisee," he said. "This was always very, very clear to all of council and to myself, and to anybody who understands how investment occurs.
“So, yes, there will be royalties paid to have a sign on a building, and it will be designed according to their specifications. However, I would never expect them to be investing in that. It is the franchisee. And we know who the franchisee is that's talking to these prospective hotels," he said, referring to developer Dario Zulich.
He said groups opposed to the Kingsway Entertainment District are spreading misinformation about the project, and the Hilton story is an example of that.
"What this actually reflects is a few individuals that have maybe misled a few people in the media with information that they have been provided,” he said. "It's an example of efforts to stall our economy, to slow down investment in our economy. I'm working in the opposite direction. I want to accelerate it."
Developer Dario Zulich, who owns The Kingsway property where the arena, casino and hotel are planned, took a similarly positive view of the OraclePoll.
“I don’t like to comment on someone else’s poll, but it seems the results confirm what I’m hearing — continued majority support of this exciting project,” Zulich said in a message to Sudbury.com. “And I’m excited about that!”
OraclePoll owner Paul Seccaspina was not available Monday or Tuesday to answer questions about the poll.
The poll was paid for by the Patricia Mills campaign. It polled 500 Sudburians between Sept. 4-9, using a dual sample frame database that captured both land lines and cellphones. Of those polled, 52 per cent were from the city proper, while 48 per cent were from communities surrounding the city.
The poll has a margin of error of 4.4 per cent and is considered accurate 19 times out of 20.
