Sudbury's Place des Arts one step closer

It isa small,but encouraging step for the arts scene inSudbury, as city councilhas directed staff to come up with a business case for the Place des Arts.

The downtown arts complex would include a French art gallery and 300-seat theatre.

Once council receives the report from staff, it will have to decide if it should spend $5 million on the project.

It will also have to consider whether it should give up a public parking lot at the corner of Elgin and Larch Streets to the facility.

A 'game change for downtown'

"We always have to look at these projects as investments in our community," councillor Lynne Reynolds said.

"These are going to spin off tons of economic dollars. It's a game changer for the downtown, this project."

Despite the potential impact, councillor Mike Jakubo urged caution, due to the steep price tag.

"The promise that it holds is certainly quite amazing for our city, so let's make sure that all the numbers check out here," Jakubo said.

"Let's get all the facts on the table so that we can make an informed decision."

The business case for the Place des Arts will be discussed during the 2017 budget deliberations.

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