Will new arena plans dominate Sudbury's 2018 municipal election?

One thing city council agrees upon is that it's time for Sudbury to build a new arena. The tricky issue is where that new facility will be.

Hundreds packed Tom Davies Square last night to hear council debate the project.

The upshot of the three-hour session? Council will wait to hear a consultant's recommendation on the best possible site.

So far, the debate centres around two general locations: downtown, where the current Sudbury arena sits, or a new facility on the Kingsway, which has been pushed by developer Dario Zulich and his proposed True North Centre.

• Dario versus the downtown? Not so, says Sudbury Arena developer Zulich
• Sudbury Arts Council holds 'proactive' open forum on downtown arena

Mayor Brian Bigger said he wants to ensure a new facility does not result in a large tax increase.

"Previous council has made a commitment of paying a million dollars per year towards the construction of the School of Architecture in our downtown," he said. "In 2019 that commitment will be completed, so that million dollars could be directed towards an events centre."

Economics don't jive, and what happened to all the ice?

But Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann already has concerns about the project's design.

"This is a one pad community arena and not a multi-pad community arena," she said. "I was very surprised to see this."

Coun. Rene Lapierre pointed out the city just doesn't have enough people to fill a second rink.

"The economics behind it doesn't really jive," he said. "To have all those empty seats for an entire weekend when an event on the Saturday or the Sunday could be brought it to generate that much more."

The new arena is expected to have 5,800 seats and cost at least $80 million.

Council expects the consultant's report in June, after which the city will send out request for proposals.