Expropriation of Wacky Wings for the arena project will cost Sudbury at least $2.49M

It's the last remaining building on Greater Sudbury's list of properties that need to be bought and demolished to create the space needed for a new arena and event centre. 

On Tuesday, council was informed that Wacky Wings' market value is $2.49 million.

The city will have to pay that settlement – plus potentially other damages – as part of the expropriation process. 

It's the only business that refused to sell to the city last year. The other buildings in the downtown south district were knocked down over the past few months. 

"The owner does retain rights to claim additional compensation under the Expropriations Act," said the city's manager of growth and infrastructure Tony Cecutti. 

Cecutti said the Expropriations Act is useful to expedite projects, but it's not a timely process.

"In my experience, it will probably be several years before we hear the final outcome." 

Coun. Mark Signoretti asked whether the benefits of having these properties demolished outweighed the costs, to which Cecutti replied that the full positive impact of the project will be felt in the long-term. 

"They won't necessarily be obvious the day the event centre opens…then private development will follow a few years later," he said. 

The city has so far spent about $16-million to buy and demolish properties downtown. The total project budget is about $200-million. 

The city also announced BBB Architects has been selected to design the project in partnership with local firm J.L. Richards and Associates.

"They're well known to all the council, well known to Sudbury," said Signoretti. 

"It's nice to see that they're partnering up or working together with a firm out of Toronto. There's that local presence which is great."