'Project Now' promises big cost savings, no delay with downtown arena rebuild

Tim James says he's not out to criticize any city councillors, or any other projects in Sudbury with his new idea.

But the 3rd Line Studios partner says he's got a vision for a re-imagined arena in downtown Sudbury, a stone that "hasn't been overturned."

Dubbed "Project Now," the conceptual drawings portray a rebuilt, modernized arena at its current location on Elgin Street. The idea for the rebuild comes as plans for a new arena, located at the Kingsway Entertainment District on the city's eastern edge, hang in limbo with appeals at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

James says he knows by pushing Project Now out into the public, he could be reopening some old wounds. The debate about the location of the new arena, voted on and approved by city council in 2017, has been controversial and at times, divisive.

He adds that COVID-19, and the resulting shutdown and economic slowdown, has given the city a chance to hit the reset button.  

"What we're trying to do is help our community leaders see the crisis that we find ourselves in, and that there are options to try to address that crisis in a number of different ways," James said. "So we're just here to help. We're not out to criticize our leaders or other projects."

"We've provided [the plan] so that the leadership of our community, as well as the people of our community, could comment and contribute in order to pull together and work our way out of this crisis," he said.

James, who has called Sudbury home for 30 years, said he's lived through more than one kind of recession, always ending up surprised at the resiliency of people in the Nickel City.

"I would be hesitant to think that this crisis would be any different, but it certainly has a broader and historic level of economic concern and health concern," he said. 

"I think we have to kind of pull together and figure out a way to get what we need in order to grow our community and create a great space for us as well as to do it in a fiscally responsible manner."

James said the rebuild could save the city millions.

"We can do something that's 40 percent cheaper," he said. "And still addresses all of the fundamental programmatic requirements of a new arena."

"In fact I think when you see the environment that's been created I think you'll think it's a great mix of history and all of that legacy of the old 'barn.'"

Details released by the firm peg costs at around $55 million. That's less than the $100 million the city has budgeted for an arena/events centre on the Kingsway.

James said he'd like to see the savings plowed back into capital projects, like a twin pad in the Valley.