Phase two of construction is slated to begin the week of Aug. 5 on Place des Arts du Grand Sudbury, a $30-million francophone arts and entertainment centre in downtown Sudbury.
The site – located on a former parking lot at the corners of Larch and Elgin streets – was prepped last fall by Sudbury company Bélanger Construction.
HEIN, a Kanata-based contracting, construction and design-build firm, will construct the building. Place des Arts will be the first build for HEIN in Northern Ontario.
As the firm starts hiring subcontractors in the coming weeks, construction spinoff opportunities are being valued at an estimated $18.7 million, with the creation of 180 jobs by the time the work is substantially completed at the end of 2020.
“The start of construction is the culmination of 20 months of intense and inspiring design development sessions with architects Yallowega Bélanger Salach Architecture and Moriyama & Teshima Architects,” said Stéphane Gauthier, president of Place des Arts, in an Aug. 2 news release.
“The project will incorporate precious relics from the past and a public art installation by Lise Beaudry into the interior architectural design. It’s very exciting to be embarking on the home stretch.”
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When complete, the 40,000-square-foot building will house eight local French-language cultural organizations.
Described as having “bold, dynamic lines in a bright, modern design,” the building will feature corten steel in colours “reminiscent of Northern Ontario ore.”
In addition to a 300-seat concert hall, the centre will feature a 120-seat multifunctional studio, a contemporary art gallery, a bistro with a sidewalk terrace in the summer, a gift boutique/bookstore, an early childhood arts centre with a playground, and nearly 10,000 square feet of office and collaborative work space.
In its first year, the space is expected to host 850 events and generate 50,000 admissions.
