City contemplates new location for Sudbury art gallery, library

Councillor Fern Cormier is calling on the city to pick a new location for a combined art gallery, library and convention centre.

Last year the city announced it would build the new facility at the Sudbury arena downtown, contingent on a new arena being built on the Kingsway as part of the proposed Kingsway Entertainment District.

That project has hit delays, and is currently mired in an Local Planning and Appeal Tribunal hearing.

At Tuesday night's meeting of the city's finance and administration committee, councillor Fern Cormier said it would be prudent to move the project ahead, without being tied to the future of the Kingsway Entertainment District.

"As time has gone on we've seen the timelines move further and further out for various reasons," Cormier said. "We're hamstrung into not being able to move forward with the library art gallery project that I view as separate and distinct from any other large project."

"I think that having staff be able to come back with a potential alternate site that is not tied to events that are beyond our control right now, will actually allow us to start moving it forward independent of the other large project," Cormier said.

Mayor Brian Bigger said he's in support of the idea. A new location would help the project get started sooner, which could be attractive to other investors.

"If we think there's a chance of attracting partners on in and around a project like this, stimulating other investment, finding the funders, we need we need to be able to demonstrate that we are shovel ready," Bigger said. 

"I think there's an understanding that adjacent to a brand new main library - art gallery complex brings other commercial and perhaps residential opportunities, and those have been talked about in council previously," he said. 

In January, council passed a motion to look at attracting private investors to the project, including commercial and residential developments.

Councillor Michael Vagnini, who in the past said he wouldn't support any motion that involved large projects, said Cormier's idea was "creative," in part because it recognizes that the current Elgin Street Arena — what he termed a $40-60 million asset— may be standing for some time.  

"If we can save that, and whatever happens with LPAT and the whole thing how it unravels, if we could re-purpose that asset and not give it up and relocate, I think it's a great idea." 

The committee passed Cormier's motion. City staff will now report back to council in June with their recommendation of a new site in the downtown core.