Making way for the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square project, both provincial offences court and meetings of city council will shift to the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre in Azilda.
Provincial offences court will make the change effective Sept. 29, while city council operations will make the move effective Oct. 20.
In a report by city solicitor and clerk Eric Labelle, it’s noted that noise from construction activities would disturb meeting proceedings.
“The duration of the relocation is anticipated to be for a period of two years or until the substantial completion of the construction work,” his report notes, clarifying that the court will be relocated to another location in Tom Davies Square, and council chambers would remain in place but also face “renewal,” which includes accessibility upgrades.
The Cultural Hub project will consist of relocating various municipal operations from Tom Davies Square (200 Brady St.) to the upper floors of the adjoining city-owned high-rise at 199 Larch St.
A new main branch library will take shape at 200 Brady St. alongside room for community groups such as the Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association.
The Art Gallery of Sudbury will take up the bottom four storeys of 199 Larch St.
At latest update, PCL Construction was selected as the project’s construction manager, and city Strategic Services lead Tony Cecutti said that construction would begin this autumn, beginning with cordonging off certain areas to commence investigations with the contractor “to fully understand what we’re getting into so we can price the thing out properly.”
The Cultural Hub project already has a team of architects working on it, headed by Toronto-based Teeple Architects, in partnership with southern Ontario’s Two Row Architect and Sudbury-based Yallowega Architecture. They presented schematic designs to city council and the public in September 2024.
As for the relocation of municipal services, Labelle’s report notes that various city-owned buildings, hotels and educational institutions were considered but deemed inadequate.
In the end, it was determined that the 136,000-square-foot former high school in Azilda is the only facility that could accommodate their needs, according to Labelle’s report.
“The facility is well known to the community and contains a number of rooms to accommodate a Provincial Offences Courtroom, a Council Chamber and a backup Council Chamber/Courtroom,” according to the report. “The facility is secure and capable of safely housing the extensive hardware and technology required to conduct virtual court and council/committee meetings.”
There’s enough parking, and a GOVA Transit route has been modified to include a stop at the facility.
Meanwhile, Labelle’s report also notes that most court hearings are held virtually, and that city council and committee meetings would continue to be available virtually.
“While members of the executive leadership team and clerk’s staff will generally attend in person for meetings, it is anticipated that we may see increased virtual participation by other staff during the period of relocation,” Labelle wrote. “Members of the public will continue to have the option of attending meetings in-person if they wish or viewing the livestream from the comfort of their homes.”
Temporary relocation costs, including such things as hardware, technology, furniture and moving costs, are estimated to be approximately $200,000. An additional $100,000 in permanent improvements are also being made to the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.