Mayoral canadidate Patricia Mills says the importance of the city's community arena as a common gathering place “can't be underestimated” and it's important to ensure it's a good deal for taxpayers.
In a release Friday, Mills, who said earlier this week the project should be a Triple P project, said today the arena is the taxpayers' “burden to bear.”
“What is clear is that the arena construction will be paid for by the hard-earned tax dollars of the citizens of Greater Sudbury,” Mills writes. “But we are planning to share the site with other partners that may benefit from the community’s investment in the arena. Isn’t it reasonable to expect those partners to bear their share of the costs of development?
“And they will be substantial: new roads into and on the site, upgrading the interchanges on the Kingsway, sidewalks, water and sewer installation, new or upgraded pumping stations, hydro substation and other costs associated with new site development.”
Community arenas are important collective gathering places, she said, where Sudburians have come together to enjoy “hockey, concerts, multicultural gatherings, Remembrance Day ceremonies, trade shows and a host of special activities and events."
“We should make these investments to stake our claim as a progressive and forward-looking community that wants to build the amenities expected of citizens and newcomers alike and to retain and attract businesses, industry, families, workers and professionals. But make no mistake; this is our investment to bear.”
Mills said the city needs to be more transparent about who is paying for what in the development of the Kingsway Entertainment District, to ensure costs are being shared to the benefit of taxpayers.
“Perhaps such agreements are in place, but we simply don’t know,” she writes. “The site selection process, the partnership agreements and other important details of the project have not, and are not, public or transparent.”
Full text of the release from Patricia Mills
Putting the Community Back into Community Arena
Back in 1951, Sudbury invested in the Sudbury Community Arena for around $700,000 (about $7.3 million in today’s dollars). With upgrades and maintenance along the way, it certainly has served us well over the years. But our needs and expectations are changing. Most of our citizens recognize and support this renewal. But we should ask ourselves, what is the purpose of a community arena? In my view, it is a gathering place for the community.
Over the years, we’ve collectively enjoyed hockey, concerts, multicultural gatherings, Remembrance Day ceremonies, trade shows and a host of special activities and events. The importance of this collective gathering place cannot be underestimated.
I expect our new facility will be no different. I understand, like they did in 1951, that this is an investment in the future of our community. We should make these investments to stake our claim as a progressive and forward-looking community that wants to build the amenities expected of citizens and newcomers alike and to retain and attract businesses, industry, families, workers and professionals. But make no mistake; this is our investment to bear.
Local tax dollars are one of the few ways to make this new facility a reality. But we are planning to share the site with other partners that may benefit from the community’s investment in the arena. Isn’t it reasonable to expect those partners to bear their share of the costs of development?
And they will be substantial: new roads into and on the site, upgrading the interchanges on the Kingsway, sidewalks, water and sewer installation, new or upgraded pumping stations, hydro substation and other costs associated with new site development. Perhaps such agreements are in place, but we simply don’t know. The site selection process, the partnership agreements and other important details of the project have not, and are not, public or transparent. Just recently, we learned that a new hotel partner may not be in the mix as reported.
This is not how a substantial, important and long-lasting community investment should unfold. We should have a clear understanding on how common costs are being divided and who is paying for what. What is clear is that the arena construction will be paid for by the hard-earned tax dollars of the citizens of Greater Sudbury.
Our tax dollars are stretched as it is and there are many other priorities facing our community. The lack of communication is deafening and the lack of transparency blinding.
We are losing trust that our Mayor can deliver this project as envisioned and promoted. We need new leadership to deliver a solid plan and guarantee the success of this project.
