As the debate rages in the city over whether a new events centre should be built on The Kingsway or downtown, one proponent is insisting both locations could benefit from The Kingsway location.
Wolves owner Dario Zulich said during a news conference Thursday that the Elgin Street rink could be converted into a 1,200 seat auditorium to host music, comedy and other live events.
"It's free standing, structurally sound building in the middle of Elgin Street Greenway,” Zulich told the crowd gathered at Fromagerie. “It's a sound building, but it has to be re-purposed. We're trying to give it a new life."
The rest of the building could be used for a number of things, he said, including a new art gallery or library currently under consideration. The area behind the arena could house a new hotel, which he said would be key in supporting a new structure.
On hand for the news conference was Monique Rosszell, managing director of HVS, a company that does feasibility studies and appraisals for companies looking for the best place to build.
Rosszell said that have done several studies in Sudbury over the last few years, all of which found we need more.
"The market is very strong for hotel demand," she said. "There's no question there's sufficient demand for a new hotel in Sudbury."
For the new projects to succeed, she said new hotels are needed to support performers and visitors coming to the new facility.
"Otherwise, if you can't lodge these people to attend these functions, you can't get group and meeting demand to come into the city, you can't get larger conferences," she said."Sudbury needs new hotels, particularly in the downtown core."
And Karen McQuade, regional director of local hotel builder Vrancor Hospitality, said the company is very interested in building more.
"We would be thrilled to pursue further hotel investment opportunities in support of some of the mega developments that we've heard here today,” McQuade said. “Particularly the casino, and the music city development."
The music city concept was explained by Erin Benjamin, a Sudbury native who's now the executive director of Music Canada Live. Benjamin said there's a blueprint emerging for cities that want to grow their music tourism industry.
"This is not a cookie cutter template," she said. "Each city's approach customizes and maximizes the idea in their own way. But there are some common essential ingredients.
"You need artists and musicians. You need a thriving local music scene. And you need access to places and spaces. Live music needs a home. For live performance, a full range of venues is essential to support artists as they advance through their careers."
Clusters of venues "draw bigger, more diverse crowds," she said.
"A downtown, in this case, becomes a destination. A 1,200-seat venue, with the added benefit of flexible that could be used by the local community in different ways in a downtown core would compliment the existing ecology of spaces and places here. That's good for the city, it's good for artists, it's good for fans and it's good for the local economy."
Jennifer McGillivray, executive director of the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, said a downtown 1,200-seat theatre is exactly what they have been waiting for.
"In a very real way, the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra has been homeless for many, many years," McGillivray said.
"I think Dario first approached me about six months ago and said, what about turning the arena into an arts centre? And I went, wow, what an incredible opportunity. To be able to work downtown, to be able to fill that gap of that missing 1,200 soft seat auditorium that Sudbury needs and deserves."
"We are delighted to support this vision."
Tammy Frick, of Cinefest and the LOL Comedy Festival, said a lack of proper venues for the festivals is a serious issue, and one that is holding back growth.
"We don't have a proper venue to host high-calibre comedy acts in Sudbury," Frick said. “They don't exist.”
She supports Zulich's plan, she said, because it gives the city a chance to create a new industry, and help existing ones grow.
"We can build a new one, but then we would still just have an arena," Frick said. "We build a sports and entertainment district and cultural spaces that are adaptable, with hospitality and convention capacities in our downtown, then we become that capital city of Northern Ontario.
"Maybe it's time we put our big people pants on and embraced the opportunities that allows us to show our pride and prove that our community can be that stand up Northern city."
Scott Lund, CEO of SW Sports and Entertainment, emphasized again that they don't see it as a us-versus-them issue.
"It's not one part of town over another -- the whole community needs to grow and get better and we know we can all agree on that," Lund said.
"It come down to The Kingsway, apparently, or downtown. We don't think so. We think it's The Kingsway and downtown."
