Sudbury medical research institute waits on $10M from Feds

The Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada is hoping to break ground on a major new medical facility in Sudbury this spring but their plan hinges on the outcome of two big grant applications.

The CEO of AMRIC said hes sitting on pins and needles.

"Now we're waiting for the Heritage Fund as well as FedNor to make a decision, Francisco Diaz-Mitoma said. We requested about $5 million from each."

Diaz-Mitoma is vocal about his organization's ambitious plans for Sudbury, which include a 1,400 square metre facility on Walford Road.

"This will allow us to expand our research focus. It will have the latest in equipment and facilities and information technology."

He said the next phase of planning is even more ambitious, and involves building another 6,500 square metres of research space. But Diaz-Mitoma said he knows securing money for that stage will be a big challenge.

Last year, Sudbury city council gave $1.75 million to AMRIC.

Some councillors like Terry Kett warned they wouldn't be able to offer much more help.

"We are not getting to the point where we can't afford to do this too many more times. That's just a fact of life in Ontario today."

Diaz-Mitoma said, for the final phase of building, they will need tensof millions of dollars.

But first things first, he's hoping to open the Walford facility by 2015.