PCL Construction has been selected as the construction manager for the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square project following what the city describes as “a thorough evaluation process.”
The decision was announced in a media release the city issued June 26, in which PCL Construction was cited as the winning bidder among six pre-qualified companies.
“We are pleased to move forward with a construction partner that brings extensive experience and a strong track record in delivering complex civic projects,” city Strategic Projects Lead Tony Cecutti said in the release.
“The Cultural Hub will serve as a cornerstone of our downtown revitalization efforts, creating a contemporary, inclusive space that fosters connection, creativity and community engagement.”
This is the latest in a string of tender awards anticipated in the coming weeks, between the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square and the downtown arena/event centre projects.
(On this front, PCL Construction is also one of five companies pre-qualified to take on construction management for the event centre.)
The Cultural Hub project consists of relocating various municipal offices from 200 Brady St. to the upper floor of the adjoining 199 Larch St. to the north, to make room for a new main branch library and other community services at 200 Brady St. A new Art Gallery of Sudbury would fill out the bottom four storeys of 199 Larch St.
The project already has a team of architects working on it, headed by Toronto-based Teeple Architects, in partnership with southern Ontario’s Two Row Architect and Sudbury-based Yallowega Architecture. Schematic designs were presented to city council in September 2024.
The city’s media release bills PCL Construction as “one of Canada’s most respected and experienced construction firms … known for its commitment to quality, innovation and sustainability.”
PCL Construction was founded in Saskatchewan as EE Poole General Contractor in 1906 and has expanded throughout North America ever since, plus offices in Australia and the Caribbean. They maintain a Sudbury office at 598 Falconbridge Road.
"PCL is honoured to partner with the City of Greater Sudbury on the transformative Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square. This project continues our legacy of building meaningful infrastructure in the communities where our employees live and work," PCL Construction area manager John Schmalz said in the media release.
"The Cultural Hub is a dynamic investment in the heart of Sudbury and we are looking forward to bringing the city's vision for this integral community facility to life."
The next two big tender awards anticipated in the coming weeks include which of two U.S.-headquartered companies will manage the event centre, and which of five prequalified companies will tackle the event centre’s construction management.
Construction on the Cultural Hub is expected to begin later this year, the city reaffirmed in Thursday’s media release.
Last month, Cecutti told Sudbury.com that this year’s Cultural Hub work would include hoarding off certain areas at Tom Davies Square to commence investigations with the contractor “to fully understand what we’re getting into so we can price the thing out properly.”
As for the event centre, work is already underway with utility companies to do planned relocations, though Cecutti said, “You won’t see any heavy construction on the new event centre until probably early next year.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
