This week, Ward 5 councillor Robert Kirwan reminded of the benefits of the development of the Kingsway Entertainment District for the City of Greater Sudbury. He said that the city cannot afford not to build the and multi-million event centre as it would give an immense financial advantage to the city in the future.
The KED has been a heavily discussed topic in Greater Sudbury as the CA$100 million project has been delayed several times. In the summer of 2021, City Council successfully passed a motion to proceed with the project which will include a CA$60 million casino by Gateway Casinos, a hockey arena, a brand-new hotel by Genesis Hospitality, and even more.
A Highly Beneficial Project
According to the council, the KED would bring enormous financial aid to the city’s economy, as soon more and more companies would line up to be part of the project. He also states that the expanded development of the site will be able to generate millions of Canadian dollars of additional proceeds for the city, from commercial taxation and casino sharing revenue.
He admits that the project is quite inflated but he is adamant that there will be no better time to invest in the project, as according to him, the cost is only going to get steeper. He said that as the 13th largest city by population in Ontario, Greater Sudbury is in a great position to become an economic force in the North region of the province.
Mr. Kirwan asserts that the city needs to have the courage to proceed with the project, as it cannot afford not to do it. In his words, this is the tipping point of the city’s future and the administration must act to take advantage of the opportunity. He also shared that he has full confidence in the city’s officials, who will be tasked with developing a financial plan.
And finally, the Ward 5 councillor said that when KED and Junction East Cultural Campus, which is another priority project for the city, will bring great benefit to the city in the future when they are completed in 2025. He even believes that the two projects will launch into a future that many of the city’s ancestors could only dream of.
February Council Meeting
Since, the announcement of the KED project, it has faced many difficulties, such as legal challenges and delays. Back in February, City Council put a motion requesting a referendum on the project to bed. This motion was introduced by Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier a while back, but now, the city has officially dismissed it.
Lack of Information
Besides many supporters, the project also has plenty of opponents, such as Hazel Ecclestone, who has been a part of an anti-KED group. A while back she shared her disappointment, as the city has not honored her freedom of information request regarding the event centre. Due to lack of response, she filed an appeal to Ontario’s information and privacy commissioner.
Source: “Kirwan: We can’t afford not to build KED, Junction East”, Sudbury.com, May 8, 2022
