A Sudbury businessman’s chances to build a privately financed main arena for the city have improved considerably.
On July 29, Dario Zulich and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) issued a joint announcement that he had purchased the Sudbury Wolves from the Burgess and Edwards families, who had owned and operated the franchise for the past 30 years.
Zulich declined comment until after the transfer of the team’s ownership was made official at the league’s board of governors meeting in mid-August.
The pending acquisition of the OHL franchise propelled Zulich and his development group into the lead of a three-way race to build a replacement for the aging Sudbury Community Arena in the downtown.
Zulich and business partner Perry Dellelce are pushing the True North Strong Centre that would be built in a private-public partnership at a cost of somewhere north of $60 million. Located on the eastern outskirts of the city along The Kingsway, their proposal features two ice pads, including a 7,000-plus seat bowl and other modern amenities.
In return for a 25 per cent stake, the city would offer the security and borrowing power of its name, while the group would build and operate the facility for 30 years before handing the keys over to the city.
A second proposal for the South Regent Sports and Entertainment Complex is being put forward by Dalron Construction with McCOR Management and International Colosseum Company. It calls for a $70-million event centre in the city’s south end near the Four Corners intersection.
The project calls for a facility capable of seating 6,500 for games, 7,500 seats for other events, an indoor soccer stadium, a second rink and space for commercial amenities. The group is asking the city to contribute money to cover annual operating costs.
There’s also a significant citizen and business lobby of downtown boosters – who’ve tabled no actual plan – to situate a new arena and event centre in the core to replace the 4,600-seat Sudbury Community Arena, built in 1951.
Only days earlier, Zulich announced he had purchased the 60-year-old landmark Pearl Street water tower, though his plans for that structure remain unclear.
The City of Greater Sudbury had decommissioned the water tower in 1998 and sold it to businessman Jeff Perreault, who hung temporary billboards from the sides with later plans to use as the centrepiece of a 35-unit condominium development.
Those plans never materialized as Perrault was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2014.
Zulich, who’s the CEO of TESC Contracting, accompanied the purchase with an $80,000 donation to the Adaptive Canuck ALS Foundation.
“I see it every day on the way home from work,” said Zulich. “It’s part of our Sudbury skyline and I wanted to preserve it.”
