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WATCH NOW: True North unveils new vision for Sudbury Arena

Unveils plan to turn the Barn into a live music venue and arts conference centre

The team driving to develop an entertainment district on The Kingsway, that would include a new event centre for the city, unveiled even more plans at a press conference today.

SW Sports and Entertainment Ltd. (SWSE), which owns the Sudbury Wolves, Sudbury Spartans and a pro basketball team that will soon start playing out of the Nickel City as part of the National Basketball League of Canada, unveiled what it called the “potential of re-purposing the old Barn on Elgin Street into a medium sized music theatre and art conference centre.”

SWSE trotted out a number of supporters of the project, including Music Canada Live, Sudbury Symphony Orchestra and CION-MFM (Cultural Industries Ontario North and Music and Film in Motion) as well as representatives from two groups specializing in hospitality and hotels.

“Today, the True North Strong team put forward another key element to the comprehensive community vision that would locate the new Event Centre on the Kingsway in the proposed Regional Entertainment District,” the press release stated. “The team led by Dario Zulich

has consistently communicated the need for investment in both Sports & Entertainment AND Arts & Culture tourism in our region. The unveiling was highlighted by potential uses of the Sudbury Community Arena in preparation for its second life.”

Speaking from the arts community perspective was Erin Benjamin, the executive director of Music Canada Live, Jennifer McGillivray, executive director of Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, and Tammy Frick, executive director of CION-MFM).

From the hospitality angle, SWSE brought out Monique Rosszell of HVS, a firm that specializes in hotel market analysis and valuation, who spoke about how the Nickel City market could support multiple hospitality investments. Karen McQuade, regional director of Vrancor, a property management and development company that has already invested in the local market, spoke about her firm's interest in growth opportunities in Sudbury.

Also unveiled today was a concept drawing, entitled “Music City,” of what a revamped Sudbury Arena might look like on the inside.

City council votes on the prefered event centre location at its June 27 meeting.

This story will be updated today.


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