Benefit to the Community
How will the Kingsway Entertainment District benefit Greater Sudbury?
Similar to other large-scale initiatives such as Science North, the Bell Park Boardwalk, Health Sciences North and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, the Kingsway Entertainment District is a transformative project for the community.
Land for Development
- With over 170 acres (69 hectares), the Kingsway Entertainment District has the advantage of land. The Arena/Event Centre, the Gateway Casino, a hotel, restaurants and Festival Square are only the beginning of a broader vision for this location.
Quality of Life and Economic Benefits
The Kingsway Entertainment District, coupled with the Downtown Sudbury Arts and Culture District, will enhance quality of life and generate significant economic benefits not only for Greater Sudbury, but for the entire Northeastern Ontario region.
Greater Sudbury has a market area stretching from the Quebec border west to the eastern shore of Lake Superior and north to James and Hudson’s Bay coastlines. Some 550,000 people live in the area and many visitors already come to Greater Sudbury to shop, attend medical appointments or visit friends and family.
The Greater Sudbury Arena/Event Centre is a significant municipal capital investment. The capital budget to construct the Arena/Event Centre is $100 million. The construction of the facility will result in $142 million in direct and indirect spending, along with $20.2 million in employment income growth. These figures do not include a rate of return generated by Gateway Casinos and Entertainment.
The current Slots at Sudbury Downs employs more than 140 people. Since opening in 1999, wages and benefits have totaled more than $124.7 million and purchases of local and regional goods and services have totaled approximately $24 million.
To date, the City of Greater Sudbury has received more than $43 million in slot machine revenue from OLG, which is applied to general revenues for capital projects, including road improvements.