Mayor Lefebvre Introduces Motion to Reimagine the Junction East Cultural Hub

Feb 21, 2023

At the Tuesday, February 21 City Council meeting, Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre introduced a motion directing staff to modify the Junction East Cultural Hub. 

The motion, which was passed unanimously, aims to balance the achievement of the overarching goals of the Junction East project with current economic realities faced by the municipality. 

“I strongly believe in the vision of the Junction East Cultural Hub project,” said Mayor Lefebvre. “I know that, together with our partners, we can reimagine this project to support the vibrancy of our downtown at a price tag that takes into account the competing investment needs of our municipal infrastructure.” 

The motion directs staff to bring back analysis and recommendations to further explore two options:
-    Reconfigure existing high-value infrastructure and community-owned buildings in downtown Sudbury to create effective shared spaces or partnerships that will result in sustainable, efficient operations over the long term; and  
-    Redesign the Junction East Cultural Hub to reflect total project cost of approximately $65 million and continues to reflect the desired outcome of a project that will be an enduring source of community pride.   
“The information I’ve requested through this motion will allow us to see this important project become a reality using a responsible and innovative approach,” continued Mayor Lefebvre. “I want to thank our project partners for their ongoing collaboration and dedication as we embark on this new phase of the Junction East Cultural Hub.”

The report with analysis and recommendation is scheduled to be presented to City Council by the end of June 2023.  Work on the current configuration of the Junction East Cultural Hub project will be put on hold as staff works with the project partners, the Greater Sudbury Public Library, the Sudbury Multicultural Folk Arts Association, and the Art Gallery of Sudbury to analyze the alternate approaches that fulfill the project's original goals. The project is currently at Detailed Design, and the contract with the architect allows for a pause in work at this phase.