Downtown Sudbury parking deal still standing

The deal is still on.

Susan Thompson, managing director of the Downtown Village Development Corporation, says Prime Real Estate Group is still moving forward with its plan to develop 600 parking spots in the core of Sudbury, Ont.

Last week, Thompson told CBC that the group would develop the spots if city council chose downtown as the location for its new events centre.

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But downtown lost its bid, and council voted to build the new centre on the Kingsway.

"It's always one of those situations where you get really worried about investor confidence," Thompson said."If the city's not going to invest in its own core, why should the private sector?"

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A lingering question

Thompson said the DVDC has been dealing with that question for years.

Despite her organization's commitment to promote downtown, Thompson said there's a silver lining in council's choiceto build elsewhere.

Following the events centre vote, council decided to locate its 'Synergy Centre' and a new art gallery/library downtown. Also in the mix is the Place des Arts, a francophone arts hub.

Together, the projects show that the city is still investing in its core, Thompson said.

"We have reached out, and the developer understands the impact of the Synergy Centre," Thompson said. "So it's really important that those [projects] move ahead."