A proposed athletic dome in New Sudbury could cost around $3 million, according to a briefing note from the City of Greater Sudbury's director of leisure services obtained through a freedom of information request.
A source forwarded Sudbury.com a document containing emails and documents about the athletic dome, spanning the period of April 12, 2016 to Sept. 23, 2016.
In a briefing note prepared on Sept. 14, 2016, and later revised on Sept. 22, Tyler Campbell, the city's director of leisure services, said the cost of a “soccer bubble” has been estimated in the $3 million range.
In addition to his role as the city's director of leisure, Campbell is also a trustee with the Rainbow District School Board, which could potentially host the dome at Lasalle Secondary School. The school board said Campbell has declared a conflict of interest on the topic of a potential athletic dome, and has removed himself from all school board conversations on the issue. His emails on the topic are through his role as a city employee, not as a trustee.
In the note, Campbell said Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault has indicated the provincial government could cover up to half that cost through grants.
On Nov. 16 Thibeault told Sudbury.com he supports proposed plans to build an athletic dome near Lasalle Secondary School.
“I've said all along that I'm more than happy to advocate and to find ways, whether its through NOHFC (Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation) or if it's through the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, to find the funding stream to help them with whatever proposal comes forward,” Thibeault said at the time. “I do believe our community needs something like this.”
In a Strategic Planning Committee meeting on Nov. 8, the Rainbow District School Board confirmed plans for a potential athletic dome on the Lasalle Secondary School property that would be a shared-use facility for the high school, the Sudbury District Secondary Schools Athletic Association and community groups through the Fabio Belli Foundation.
But Norm Blaseg, the Rainbow District School Board's director of education, said trustees have not approved any funding for an athletic dome. He added discussions remain at the early stages and trustees have not yet entertained any proposals yet.
Former Ward 8 Coun. Fabio Belli, who died in April 2014, supported a multi-million dollar sports dome to be built at St. Charles College in the fall of 2012.
After delays, the project fell apart when soil conditions near the school increased its nearly $3-million price tag .
“Because of the soil condition they wanted us to remove six feet of top soil and put in another four to six feet of granular,” said Louis Kitevski, the project's developer. “It took budget of the project up by almost $800,000.”
While the Fabio Belli Foundation has lobbied Thibeault to help fund the Lasalle athletic dome; Kitevski has now thrown his support behind the Sudbury District Soccer Club and their plans for an athletic dome near the Countryside Arena.
“In our mind our project makes the most sense,” said Mike Graham, vice-president of the Sudbury District Soccer Club. “It's viable; it's financially well funded.”
Graham said the club has a confidential agreement with a southern Ontario contractor called the Farley Group, that specializes in building athletic domes.
Graham said an athletic dome would benefit between 9,000 and 12,000 people in Greater Sudbury, and could accommodate a number of sports including indoor soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and baseball.
But he added Sudbury does not have the population base to support two athletic domes.
“Two facilities of this size will fail,” he said. “I can absolutely guarantee that.”
Graham said the Rainbow District School Board could impose use restrictions on facility located at Lasalle Secondary School.
Access would be more open, he said, at a privately-funded facility located on public land.
The Sudbury District Soccer Club said it has contacted Thibeault for support but has not yet received a response.
