Gateway Casinos and Entertainment remains committed to the Kingsway Entertainment District project in Sudbury despite recent issues, says a city manager.
In late November 2021, site grading at the long-planned project, which includes a $60-million casino to be operated by Gateway and had been approved by Sudbury City Council in September, was delayed at the request of Gateway shortly before it was scheduled to start on November 29.
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According to CBC News, the obstacles to progress include a legal challenge from Minnow Lake Restoration Group and an ongoing OPP investigation into reports of council bribery.
On January 11, Ian Wood, the executive director of strategic initiatives, told Sudbury council that the city remains “fully engaged with Gateway on a weekly basis” and is working to resolve the issues. That meeting saw city staff present a report outlining the risks associated with the $100 million arena project and how to avoid them.
City staff say the partners, which also includes landowner Dario Zulich and hotel operator Genesis Hospitality, have pledged to come to an agreement over the next three to four months that would include a construction schedule and help them coordinate completion dates. The report said it would cost $700,000 to move ahead with a request for proposals for designing and building a new 5,800 seat arena.
If all goes to plan with no further delays, construction could begin properly by the end of the year and the new arena could be completed by 2025.