New Sudbury Arena

[WaW]

I couldn't care any less about the memorial cup as it's not really a national championship anymore, so a new arena putting us in any future discussion to host is nothing more than a small bonus.

I just want a building that will help rejuvenate local interest in the team, as we could reasonably be a top 5 team in terms of attendance, and as great as the atmosphere is in the old barn, it's not the most comfortable place to sit and watch a game, and it's full of pretty serious inconveniences such as all the basement cantines and horrible washroom placement (Men sitting at the Minto Street end and women sitting at the Grey Street end just have the worst washroom situations).

Anyways, the report came out today and it looks like downtown, in the current municipal parking lot where Wacky Wings currently sits looks to be the preferred spot.

 

[jamo27]

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/06/19/consultant-likes-downtown-for-arena

Looks like the vote is June 27. Downtown vs the Kingsway...

 

[Voice from the North]

Here's a question for those of you in cities with somewhat new arenas (Kingston, Niagara, Windsor, etc). Where is your arena located (downtown or suburb) and what positives and negatives have the fans/cities run into?

Tonight could get very ugly at council chambers.

 

[Opinionated]

Kingston is downtown.

Oshawa built it's new arena downtown, and moved from what was a suburb area to the city core.

Parking is the only issue with both of these locations, but it's a minor issue, and having lots of restaurants and bars in the area make it great for both before and after games.

 

[EON]

Erie's is located downtown, there's very little negative about the arena placement in my view. There's a parking ramp right next to the arena which you can park in for $5, which I think is reasonable. There's plenty of free parking available around the city that would only require you to walk a few blocks. And you have plenty of bars and restaurants in walking distance.

 

[three dog night]

Niagara arena is in downtown St.Catharines parking limited at arena but lots of parking near by at 5 bucks several new restaurants and bars have open since the arena was built

 

[OHLTG]

Here's a question for those of you in cities with somewhat new arenas (Kingston, Niagara, Windsor, etc). Where is your arena located (downtown or suburb) and what positives and negatives have the fans/cities run into?

Tonight could get very ugly at council chambers.

Windsor's new rink is on the eastern edge of the city. The area directly east, though, has really built up over the last several years. Thus, Windsor and the Town of Tecumseh (directly east) kind of blend together in that area.

The positives... there's a ton of open area. The property is massive with plenty of room for future development. It also taps into the Tecumseh and St Clair Beach populations, plus it's fairly easy to get to from the 401 and EC Row. That allows for a county connection, if you will.

The negatives... there's a serious lack of hotels/restaurants within a quick walk. With the old downtown Windsor Arena, you had a dozen restaurants to pick from pre-or-post game and there were lots of hotels to stay in within a few min. Now, you pretty much have to drive or shuttle to restaurants, unless you don't mind a 15-min walk (approx). Parking is a bit of an issue if you get larger (6,000+) crowds. However, many have figured out alternatives that are free.

I wouldn't have minded an arena downtown here but I can understand why they put it out there. Frankly, I enjoy cranking some internet radio streams on the way to games; gets the energy flowing I do know people who have stopped going because it's not as accessible, though. When you have a core that's used to one spot and now you've changed locations by a drastic amount, it's not always easy to adjust.

With Sudbury, I hope their city council creates something new downtown to draw in people. You're used to having 5,000+ for games every week, which does a lot for businesses around the arena. That's going to be taken away. Bring something else downtown that will help replace that. Windsor brought in the Aquatic Centre and are bringing post-secondary campuses, too. It's going to be a nice boost.

 

[I Loveallsports]

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/06/19/consultant-likes-downtown-for-arena

Looks like the vote is June 27. Downtown vs the Kingsway...

Kingsway is the winner! 10-2 vote. GO Dario, build your project!

 

[Howling In 16]

Downtown Event Centre Motion: tied at 6-6 because of the tie the downtown motion was lost... IF one more vote went for the Event Centre Downtown then NO Kingsway Event Centre... So for you to say the Kinsway 10 -2 was misleading. Also The economics by Mr. Kirwan was challenged by Professor of Economics David Robinson from Laurentian who showed that Kirwan’s financial claims were wrong and misleading...so it comes down to whose numbers you want to listen to.....either way the tax payer is paying for it, approximately $100 million...

Ward 1: Mark Signoretti: yes
Ward 2: Michael Vagnini: no
Ward 3: Gerry Montpellier: abstained
Ward 4: Evelyn Dutrisac: no
Ward 5: Robert Kirwan: no
Ward 6: Rene Lapierre: yes
Ward 7: Mike Jakubo: no
Ward 8: Al Sizer: yes
Ward 9: Deb McIntosh: yes
Ward 10: Fern Cormier: yes
Ward 11: Lynne Reynolds: no
Ward 12: Joscelyne Landry-Altmann: no
Mayor Brian Bigger: yes
Good Luck to the Kingsway Development and I hope all the claims from Zulich the Mesiah are true. How about getting the Casino to build their own event centre on the Kinsway so the taxpayers don't have too.

 

[dirty12]

Kingsway was surprising to me, a terrible decision that will cost the city long term, imo. You would think that the recent trend and success of downtown builds supported with economic data and the city's own paid for site study also supporting the downtown would lead council to vote downtown. But, the elementary school teacher is much louder than the economics professor and Dario raised his public profile over two years so that he could profit from otherwise worthless land adjacent to the dump. At least there will ample parking to sit patiently avoiding a one way traffic after games and events.

 

[jamo27]

It isn't going to cost the city long term at all. Sudbury's historical downtown died a long time ago. No one lives there, and there is little shopping there. There are few restaurants in the core. Aside from going to a Wolves game, I have no reason to go downtown.

As it is now, if you want to shop, you go to Kingsway/Barrydowne/Lasalle corridor or the South End. If you want to eat out, you go to the same areas. All of the new hotels are in those parts of town. Parking is terrible downtown and leaving the arena is a pain. The Kingsway area is the economic hub of the city now.

Its time to move on from "Sudbury needs downtown". The reality is "downtown" moved a long time ago.

 

[dirty12]

It isn't going to cost the city long term at all. Sudbury's historical downtown died a long time ago. No one lives there, and there is little shopping there. There are few restaurants in the core. Aside from going to a Wolves game, I have no reason to go downtown.

As it is now, if you want to shop, you go to Kingsway/Barrydowne/Lasalle corridor or the South End. If you want to eat out, you go to the same areas. All of the new hotels are in those parts of town. Parking is terrible downtown and leaving the arena is a pain. The Kingsway area is the economic hub of the city now.

Its time to move on from "Sudbury needs downtown". The reality is "downtown" moved a long time ago.

Even fewer than no one lives adjacent to the dump.
You shop; then, leave your goods in a vehicle for 2.5-3hrs while attending an event? Well planned! Shoppers stop, shop & go. Maybe, there's time for a chain restaurant lunch in between.
Downtown should be for banking and business conferences and dedicated practices & schools and govt services and lunches during the day; and, dining and gathering and entertainment in the evening.
The existing arena was built almost 70 years ago. It was probably not designed for 2000 parked vehicles. Egress however, is pretty easy because there is three streets leading to three roadways out of the city. At tne new site there will be one street leading to one roadway.

 

[Tarantula]

Love the old rink in Sudbury, I understand why a new one is needed, but I always make a trip or two up there and North Bay as well, nothing like the old rinks!

 

[Naz]

Can any Sudbury fan tell me where Kingsway is and how far from the downtown core?
Congrats on the new arena.

 

[AttackSound]

Congrats to the Wolves fans on getting the green light on a new home for the Wolves hockey club enjoy the new facility up there when it is finished

 

[cub]

Can any Sudbury fan tell me where Kingsway is and how far from the downtown core?
Congrats on the new arena.

Its East of downtown, about a 8 to 10 minute drive from downtown. Highly debated, still opposition to stop it by Downtown group advocate, but I don't believe it will be stop. They plan to build a 5500 arena connected with a Casino and Hotel.

 

[cub]

Love the old rink in Sudbury, I understand why a new one is needed, but I always make a trip or two up there and North Bay as well, nothing like the old rinks!

I agree, I love Sudbury Arena, it feels like hockey when you're there not like when you go to these new arenas, it feels like its more about whats around you instead of the game.

 

[Naz]

Its East of downtown, about a 8 to 10 minute drive from downtown. Highly debated, still opposition to stop it by Downtown group advocate, but I don't believe it will be stop. They plan to build a 5500 arena connected with a Casino and Hotel.

Personally think its a bad decision, just talking about Oshawa situation when they were talking about building a new arena there were talks of building it also 10 to 15 minutes north of the downtown as Oshawa growing in population with the 407 going thru, I'm glad they made the choice to build it downtown as it gave it some life.
anyways love the old barn atmosphere in Sudbury but I'm sure you will find the new one will have it's on atmosphere.

 

[cub]

Personally think its a bad decision, just talking about Oshawa situation when they were talking about building a new arena there were talks of building it also 10 to 15 minutes north of the downtown as Oshawa growing in population with the 407 going thru, I'm glad they made the choice to build it downtown as it gave it some life.
anyways love the old barn atmosphere in Sudbury but I'm sure you will find the new one will have it's on atmosphere.

I didn't have a problem building it downtown arena, there was few issues. The plan is to build a Sport and Entertainment Industry at the Kingway site, right now guaranteed is a Arena, Casino and Hotel to be build there, but there are talks on a Motopark, Water park, Soccer Stadium etc.

All these things could not be built downtown because not enough space. The original proposal to build the arena downtown, would take a whole block of existing businesses, such restaurants etc which are top places to go downtown. So you're kind of canabilizing existing businesses to build this arena downtown. Also issues on soil to build this arena, the downtown is built above a swamp, it would cost millions to develop the site prior to building. I think the issue if they could of found another site downtown not affecting existing businesses and not having trouble with soil, then go ahead. However, when comparing the Downtown vs Kingsway proposal, to me the Kingsway Entertainment site was a better decision IMO.

The existing arena, is going to be turned into a Library, Art Centre, Convention Centre, so its the best of both worlds imo.

 

[billoink]

The downtown in the winter months, no parking for an arena that size, meter cops ticketing cars at every opportunity, even on Sundays, streets not maintained, icey, and snowbanks between meters and cars, train tracks cut the city in half and have backed up traffic on many occasions after a game. This is Sudbury known for it's infrastructure and not in a positive way. This city would eliminate free parking after 6pm and ticket vehicles during the games costing you over 50.00 to attend a game. This is how they think.

 

[battfan888]

Has there been a timeframe thrown around at all on when they plan on having the new rink open?

 

[billoink]

Season of 20-21

 

[willy29]

peterborough memorial centre still standing and nothing in sight for years...council approved a double rink on trent university grounds. Brilliant decision...is OS arena older?

The Ptbo Memorial Center is a terrible rink even with the "upgrades"....IMHO....they should have taken the renovation dollars and spent it on a new rink, practice rink, hockey office/training facility

 

[From Up Top]

The Ptbo Memorial Center is a terrible rink even with the "upgrades"....IMHO....they should have taken the renovation dollars and spent it on a new rink, practice rink, hockey office/training facility

Peterborough is in the early stages of building a new rink. There is a study currently underway, and they are exploring sites, with one being downtown where the current maintenance yard is.

Report is suppose to go before council for discussion within three months I believe.

 

[ohloutsider]

Season of 20-21

Been planning on doing a Northern sweep for a while. This means I need to plan sooner than later to get up there before the old rink is done. I will try to plan for this coming season.