In a joint letter to the media, the chair of the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation (GSDC) and the chair of the Synergy Centre steering committee pushed the merits of having a convention centre downtown.
The group behind the Synergy Centre has been relatively quiet for some time on the project.
When Sudbury.com last reported on the project in April 2016, the proponents were putting forward a proposal for a $65-million, 127,000-square-foot multi-use event centre that could be used to stage arts and culture events such as concerts, as well as be used as a convention centre. These numbers are supported by documentation on the Synergy Centre website.
Paul Finley, the project manager, told Sudbury.com at the time that the financing plan called for federal and provincial funders to contribute $15 million each with private sector contributions and sponsorships — like venue naming rights — amounting to $15 million.
On its website, the group said there would be no direct cost to taxpayers as the project would "be paid for through a combination of public and private investment."
Finley said the city’s exposure would be limited since no operating subsidies would be needed.
Those behind the project argue Greater Sudbury, the North’s largest city, is missing out on business tourist dollars because the city has no venue to host business conventions and the like, as well as arts and culture events.
Using Sudbury Tourism figures from 2010, Synergy Centre proponents said the city hosted more than 90 events, attracting 200,000 participants who needed 25,000 hotel nights, which provided more than $40 million in direct spending and job creation.
But for business tourism, the city attracted just 101,903 people, only three per cent of those visitors were in the city for a convention.
However, across Northern Ontario, business tourism for conventions, meetings and the like represents some 420,000 visitors, Greater Sudbury Synergy project said in a final report PDF on its website. Greater Sudbury only attracts 59,000 of those, or a market share of 14 per cent.
“Our lack of ability to attract large conferences is impairing business opportunities for all hotels in this community right now,” Finley said at the time. “There are conferences galore that would come here that could fill three or four or more hotels.”
The full text of the letter appears below:
We are the mining capital of the world, and yet, we cannot host a major mining conference in our city. The same holds true for our university, school of medicine and research insttitute where we are conducting world-class teaching and research but are unable to host a global health symposium.
That is our reality, but it doesn’t need to be.
On June 27 and 28, Greater Sudbury city council will be deciding on a series of projects aimed at firmly establishing our city as the hub of economic activity in the north.
One of the projects is the Synergy Centre, a multi-use convention centre and performing arts facility to be located in downtown Sudbury. At its core, the Synergy Centre would attract conventions, conferences, trade shows and live performances at an unprecedented scale.
The centre will accommodate up to 850 people for conventions, banquets and trade shows while the live performance hall will feature 950 theatre-style seats. The ability for the Synergy Centre to attract new sources of demand and economic growth for Greater Sudbury is arguably its most significant benefit.
The Greater Sudbury Development Corporation board of directors endorsed the Synergy Centre and made it a top priority for 2017. To move the project forward, the Board joined forces with the Greater Sudbury Synergy Centre Committee. That endorsement and subsequent collaboration speaks volumes to the economic benefits this project can bring to our area.
The soon-to-be-released Strategic Business Plan for the Synergy Centre estimates that the Centre will host over 250 events per year by its fifth year in operation. That represents a 25-per-cent increase in the number of events being held in Greater Sudbury today. These are events that fill our hotel rooms, restaurants, tourist attractions and retail stores. The return on investment for the Centre’s construction is expected to be over $23 million in direct and indirect (GDP) returns for our city with over 97 per cent remaining as a direct value to Sudbury.
The Synergy Centre is a smart investment in the future economic growth of Greater Sudbury. It provides a venue to not only improve the quality of life for our residents, it will also attract millions of dollars in new business from outside our city, enhancing our economic viability, stability and activity, all while creating a rich and vibrant cultural entity located in the accessible downtown core.
The time has come for Greater Sudbury to have its Synergy Centre. In fact, it’s long overdue.
Wendy Watson
Chair
GSDC Board of Directors
John Caruso
Chair
Synergy Centre Steering Committee
