Bandied about for several years and approved during 2022 budget deliberations, progress on the Valley East Twin Pad and Multipurpose Sports Complex has long appeared stagnant.
Although the progress has been delayed, Ward 6 Coun. René Lapierre told Sudbury.com that the Hanmer sports centre has not stagnated, crediting the federal government with spurring the project’s next phase into being.
That said, he clarified there are “a few moving parts” to the project as the city figures out how to pay for it and alternative options to pare down its cost.
Lapierre represents the Hanmer area on city council, which is where the twin pad would be built, at the Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre property. The councillor has also been a longtime project advocate.
In a media release on Friday, Nickel Belt Liberal MP Marc Serré announced $5 million toward the project alongside more than $25-million in funding announcements on the eve of a federal election call widely anticipated to take place on Sunday.
“This $5 million will help us get the next phase going, of detailed design,” Lapierre told Sudbury.com, adding that city council and staff are still looking at the best means of proceeding.
Although Serré’s media release cited a construction start date of September 2025 and a project completion target of March 2027, Lapierre said that ground is unlikely to break this year.
It is possible that the detailed design process begins this year, he clarified, “and then we’re going to decide, do we try to fund the balance as we go?”
The city currently has approximately $9 million earmarked for the project, plus the $5 million announced on Friday. Although Lapierre said that this is well short of its current cost estimate of $61.6 million, they’re looking at alternative plans.
“Hopefully, we can find someone who can build it for cheaper but still meet our CEEP goals,” he said, referencing the city’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan targets toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Valley East Twin Pad and Multipurpose Sports Complex as originally proposed is a 76,000-square-foot complex with two NHL-size rinks (both with a 400-seat capacity), change rooms, multipurpose gymnasium, heated viewing area, café/restaurant/concessions, a public concourse/lobby space, and support spaces.
In approving the project in the 2022 city budget, city council members stipulated that it would only proceed if the city received $20 million in funding from senior levels of government.
At the time, the project’s cost was estimated at $29.2 million.
This cost estimate ballooned to $40.2 million last year and is currently $61.6 million.
Lapierre noted that he’s heard of other twin pad arenas that came in at roughly half this cost. City staff are looking into less-expensive alternatives and are expected to make recommendations to city council during a public meeting sometime this summer.
That meeting should mark the next decision point for city council members.
In Friday’s media release, Mayor Paul Lefebvre credited the $5-million contribution as a “significant step forward in bringing a modern, accessible and inclusive multi-sport facility to Valley East.”
“This project will create a much-needed space for recreation, competition, and community gathering—one that meets the needs of residents today and for generations to come.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.