Sudbury Seeks Kingsway Entertainment District Project Operator

Greater Sudbury’s Kingsway Entertainment District Project advances, with the city seeking a qualified project operator.

The City of Greater Sudbury is forging ahead with the development of its contentious Kingsway Entertainment District (KED) event centre on the outskirts of the city. Despite the legal challenges, the city recently announced that it is looking for a project operator and has issued a request for candidate prequalification.

The KED project is planned as an entertainment centre with a casino, hotel, and hockey arena. The venue is expected to have a 58,000-seat events centre, which will be the home of the Sudbury Five basketball team and the Sudbury Wolves OHL team. The new development is expected to launch in 2024 and cost approximately CA$100 million.

Project Operator Selection

This week, the city issued a call for submissions from corporations who wish to join the project and operate the planned KED centre. According to the job spec, the ideal candidate should be an experienced company that can provide a tangible contribution to the project design.

Also, the selected company will be tasked with maximising revenue while minimising operating costs. The focus would also be on improving the venue programming and meeting the city’s outlined goals in line with the community’s energy and emissions plan. Additionally, the firm would also be managing property operations, as well as marketing and programming.

The prequalification request is the first step of a two-part process to find the most suitable candidate. During the second phase of the application process, the city will require eligible companies to submit their terms within a proposal. The council will then select the venue’s operator from the list of companies. The process should be completed by the beginning of 2022, although this is not a set deadline.

While searching for a project manager, the city is also finalising and issuing a design-build request for proposals. According to the authorities, the new arena would be an improved community area that will offer unique experiences for residents and attract tourists from further afield. Construction is expected to begin once the final design is picked, with the grand opening scheduled at the end of 2024.