Hotel partner 'a good fit' for Sudbury, developer of Kingsway Entertainment District says

Dario Zulich says his relationship and preliminary discussions with the new hotel partner for the Kingsway Entertainment District (KED) in Greater Sudbury, began well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The developer of the property in the east end of the Kingsway announced Thursday that Genesis Hospitality will be the owner-operator of the hotel to be built alongside the municipal arena and a casino. The city is the partner for the arena, while Gateway is the partner for the casino.

"We're both very excited to move forward with it — finally," Zulich said of the partnership with Genesis.

"The world can't predict L-PAT (Local Planning Appeal Tribunal), then COVID and a number of studies, but I've known [Genesis] for a while and I have to say they are the right fit for our city," he added, describing Genesis as a family group, with family-type morals and characteristics.

The controversial KED development has been dogged for several years by legal challenges. There's also opposition from many who want to see the arena remain downtown, instead of moving to the Kingsway.

Genesis Hospitality is based in Brandon, Manitoba, but owns and operates 12 hotels across Canada, including five in Ontario.

"We look forward to working with the City of Greater Sudbury, Gateway and the developer on this visionary and transformative project for Sudbury," said Kevin Swark with Genesis Hospitality, in a news release. 

"We will be constructing the biggest and the best hotel in Northern Ontario with a major brand to be announced shortly," he added.

"We have the operator and that's everything, and we have quite a few brands that would like to fly their flag up there," Zulich said. 

When the project was first in development the name Hilton Hotels had been mentioned as the hotel partner, but Zulich says that he is going to leave the naming of the hotel brand to Genesis.

"Genesis Hospitality is a welcome addition to this project," said Brian Bigger, mayor of Greater Sudbury.

"As a member of this community, it will contribute to future economic growth and the success of the KED," Bigger added.

"We are confident in the project, and all good things take time," Zulich said.

"I think it's going to be great for our city and create economic activity in terms of jobs, tourism, and growth. It's something positive to look forward to."

The targeted completion date for the Kingsway Entertainment District is 2024.