Canada/Gateway Casinos Receives Support from the City of Greater Sudbury

The Sudbury City Council approved both requests from Gateway Casinos, which had sought financial support for the construction of an intersection and a road. On Tuesday, council members voted in favor of a recommendation from city staff that the City agree to provide $5.6 million in financial support to Gateway Casinos to fund the road infrastructure projects.

The council accepted this proposal, with the amendment stipulating that future gaming revenues from the casino will be used to replenish the city’s coffers, so that there will be no impact on municipal tax collection.

Gateway Casinos, which currently operates a casino at the former Sudbury Downs racetrack in Azilda, is proposing to build a new 60,000-square-foot casino on a 19-acre property formerly known as the Kingsway Entertainment District.

In a report to the council, city staff indicated that Gateway was seeking approval for an initial funding agreement to construct a traffic-light-controlled intersection providing access to the property.

Gateway proposes to pay for the work upfront, and once completed, the company would be reimbursed by the City for 96.3% of eligible construction costs, up to a maximum of $3.035 million, plus an additional $357,548 in development fee credits.

Gateway also requested up to $2.255 million in development fee credits from the city for approximately 100 meters of a planned access road, which it calls Street A.

Regional Development

City staff asserts that the road and intersection would provide benefits beyond the casino, including access to future employment areas, and would support the region’s long-term development.

City Councilor René Lapierre believes this is also a safety issue.

 “It’s an initial cost for us, but the most important thing is safety. There are already four lanes of traffic at this location, and I don’t think it would be wise not to install a full intersection there immediately,” he says.

For her part, City Councilor Pauline Fortin believes it is best to move forward with the project now.

 “I think it’s inevitable that we’ll eventually need these traffic lights, whether it’s now or later. “I’m concerned about the safety of drivers entering and exiting the area, as well as the speed of cars and the volume of traffic. There’s a lot of it. I think it makes sense to do this now,” she explains.

Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/