Municipal investments were central to Mayor Paul Lefebvre’s second annual State of the City Address, which he delivered at the Caruso Club on May 2.
“Now is the time for us to invest in our community, ourselves, our children, and our future,” Lefebvre said.
“Council has demonstrated courage and vision through many recent decisions and direction for policy development that will foster an environment that is conducive to local growth and development in all areas.”
The annual address was hosted by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, whose past-chair Anthony Davis described it as carrying “great news” for the city.
Prior to last month’s unanimous vote of city council to greenlight a new $200-million arena/events centre in the city’s downtown core, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Debbie Nicholson wrote a letter to the editor advocating for the project.
“We may not end up with only an arena,” she told Sudbury.com after Thursday’s address, adding that with the land the city purchased to accompany the project there’s enough room to accompany complementary services. “It could be a major hotel with a conference centre, which is so desperately needed in our community.”
Given its economic impacts, Davis said the economic benefits of a new arena building made the decision a “no brainer.”
Although the $200-million build (plus another more than $20 million for the downtown land purchase/demolition to make way for ancillary services) is by far the single-greatest investment Lefebvre addressed during his address, various others, such as the $65-million Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square and capital roads budgets were also addressed.
Including a 1.5-per-cent annual special tax levies city council tacked on to future municipal budgets, he said a quarter-billion will be spent on municipal roads in the next five years; all to help fill the city’s well-established annual infrastructure-spending gap, which as of last year totalled approximately $130 million.
As Lefebvre has repeatedly said, including during his inaugural State of the City address last year, housing remains an important part of the city’s economic development goals. His goal is still hitting a population of 200,000 by 2050, which is on the upper end of municipal projections.
The $113-million, 349-unit Project Manitou affordable housing complex downtown currently under construction is one big success story, he said, citing Panoramic Properties’ proposed redevelopment of the old Paris Street hospital site into 430 residential units as another.
“All these projects and the countless others going up across our community are fantastic housing developments in our community that cannot be built quick enough,” he said.
“The landscape of our community is changing. We are growing and growing the right way.”
There are various ongoing efforts to help create an environment that favours development, he said, including the development of 54 calls for action aimed at helping spur economic development through the Future Ready Development Services Ad-Hoc Committee of city council and an upcoming Housing Supply Strategy. City council anticipates reports on both of these efforts later this year.
During last year’s State of the City address, Lefebvre announced the creation of a new task force on labour attraction. One year later today, he said he’d be making an announcement soon on what he has named the Greater Together Project “to enhance our economic attraction and welcoming efforts while outlining our actions to embrace diversity and inclusion.”
Meanwhile, Lefebvre said the city is also striving to preserve its natural environment, including the city’s efforts toward protecting 30 per cent of its lands and lakes by 2030, which city council voted to proceed with earlier in the week.
Although Lefebvre spent the majority of his more than half-hour speech painting a picture highlighting the prosperous path he believes city council has put the city on, his remarks opened on a solemn note, addressing this year’s deaths of Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini and Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier.
“Both Michael and Gerry were known as passionate and fierce advocates for the communities they represented, Wards 2 and 3, respectively,” he said.
“Michael was beloved for his unique sartorial sense, and his care for the community was evident in his annual No One Eats Alone community Christmas Dinner. Gerry was a visible presence at so many community events, and he certainly knew his way around a classic car.
“I look forward to providing further details about our plans to honour them with public dedications soon.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
