Municipal office spaces at Greater Sudbury's City Hall will transform into the green and inclusive home of a Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square after an investment of over $25 million from the federal government. Federal funds come from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program (GICB) and the Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP).
The funding was announced today by MP Viviane Lapointe, MP Marc G. Serré, and Mayor Paul Lefebvre. When complete, the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square will be home to the Art Gallery of Sudbury, the new central library, and the Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association. The facility will be a unique and exciting community space that provides residents with a variety of cultural and educational services in one convenient centralized location, and supports the City's commitment to accessibility, environmental sustainability, multiculturalism, Indigeneity, social inclusion, and culture.
This retrofit, funded through the GICB program, enhances the unique features of the existing facility while ensuring it becomes an accessible space. The Cultural Hub will be equipped with rest area seating, tactile guidance systems, charging stations for mobility devices, and voice announcements for floor identification. Sustainable upgrades include energy-efficient LED lighting and improved insulation to minimize heating and cooling loss.
The Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) funds announced today have helped support the planning, design and engineering costs of this future transformational public space. The FedNor funds are provided by the Northern Ontario Development Program, through which FedNor invests in projects led by municipalities, First Nations, and other organizations and institutions that support community economic development, diversification, job creation and self-reliant communities in Northern Ontario.
