Place des Arts du Grand Sudbury received a windfall on Oct. 13.
The proposed $30-million multi-purpose centre for francophone arts received a total of $12.5 million from the federal government in preparation for construction of a brand-new facility in downtown Sudbury.
Of the funds announced, $3 million comes from FedNor, while the remaining $9.5 million comes from Canadian Heritage’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.
The five-storey, 60,000-square-foot facility will include a state-of-the-art 300-seat performance hall, an art gallery, studios and multi-purpose spaces, in addition to cutting-edge technology and innovative energy-efficiency solutions such as a solar wall and green roof, a rainwater recovery system, and LED lighting throughout the building.
Earlier this year, the province announced $8.25 million in funding toward the project, while the city has pledge another $5.5 million for the facility. Additional funds are being raised by a capital fundraising campaign, which, at last count, had reached $1 million.
Place des Arts is the long-term vision of Regroupement des organismes culturels de Sudbury (ROCS), which was founded in 2007 by seven arts, culture and heritage organizations in Sudbury: le Carrefour francophone, le Centre franco-ontarien de folklore, les Éditions Prise de parole, la Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario, La Nuit sur l’étang, le Salon du livre du Grand Sudbury and le Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario.
It’s one of four major facility projects currently in the planning for Sudbury. The others are a new arena, the Synergy Centre conference venue, and a new art gallery/library.
The design for Place des Arts is being done by Québec firm Atelier Pierre Thibault. Construction on the facility is slated to begin in summer 2018.
