Kingsway Entertainment District is once again a topic of discussion and research in the Greater Sudbury area, as more information is currently being sought. Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger wants to see a new report including information on possible sites where the new entertainment zone could be built. The City Council will work on the new report and sum everything up in a couple of weeks.
The CA$100-million project expected to transform the Greater Sudbury area is still in limbo, as there is not much certain about it. However, the process should commence once again and the Mayor wants to see this happen in the foreseeable future. The new report is expected to shed more light on the subject.
Mayor Brian Bigger
Mayor Bigger wants to evaluate all possible locations that could welcome the new entertainment zone in the upcoming years. What should be pointed out is the impact it will have on the area in question and whether it will be the right thing to build given other neighboring properties. Such information flow is required so that Kingsway Entertainment District could move forward.
It could be recalled that June 2017 saw the official greenlighting of this large project in the Greater Sudbury area, aiming to make it more appealing and attract a diverse crowd of individuals. It is projected to bring both gambling and family-friendly offerings, as well as a hospitality hotspot, making sure that everyone could find something they like within its zone. However, legal challenges had been stalling the project over the past few years ahead of December 2020.
This is when the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal dismissed the last remaining appeals linked to the large project expected to be built. These appeals had been blocking the large entertainment zone from moving forward to its construction phase. The tribunal itself was created in order to facilitate the process and optimize it, replacing the Ontario Municipal Board.
Project Issued Soon
The new staff report is expected to also clarify all uncertainties and smooth things out between the local community and the City Council when it comes to Kingsway Entertainment District. There are individuals opposing the large project and they have previously expressed their position through appeals filed with the LPAT. Nevertheless, the City Council will aim to change their mind with this upcoming report.
Mayor Bigger said that life is not the same as back in 2017 when it was first approved and the unprecedented situation that took over in March 2020 has also taken its toll. What is important at this point in the conversation is for all parties to have adequate and accurate information on the subject and be prepared for the next steps of the conversation. He also pointed out that the subject is quite polarizing.
This was never its purpose and Mayor Bigger would like to see a temporary suspension of debates linked to the proposed entertainment zone, at least until the report has been issued and a summary of everything we know has been presented to the public.
