Business thriving in Downtown Sudbury.

A number of factors including a strong business environment, solid partnerships and an improved economy have helped to bring Greater Sudbury's once-faltering downtown core to a state of renewal, according to an official with a downtown business improvement association.

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"In the last couple of years, we're seeing a very positive momentum building in the downtown compared to five to ten years ago," says Maureen Luoma, executive director, Downtown Sudbury.

"There's a lot of community interest and support, and our business climate, for the most part, is becoming very positive."

Luoma says the downtown core has recently begun a trend of positive growth, with an estimated 12 businesses having been established in the area in 2006. This is a big improvement over previous years, she says; in the last decade, the city's downtown has typically seen a net loss of jobs, rather than its current net positive.

Within the last year, the downtown has seen new entertainment venues such as Standing Room Only, retail and fashion opportunities such as Jan Browning's, and even office tenancy through firms such as Hatch Engineering.

Major renovations within the Rainbow Centre throughout the last several years, including the establishment of the Rainbow Cinemas and the grocery store, have also contributed to the revival of both the mall and the downtown, Luoma says. This includes current efforts to transform portions of the main floor into a nine-restaurant food court to replace the now-defunct one on the second floor.

"All of those things working together is what is going to make a strong core, and I think it's going to make a more solid one because everyone is working together and because all our eggs aren't in one basket," says Luoma.

As part of its current plan to attract new business as well as a stronger customer base, city council approved a downtown loan program on Nov.29. It will provide up to $50,000 of funding through grants or interest-free loans to help businesses with planning and building fees, project development studies as well as facade and building improvements. Various rebates, ranging from 50 to 100 per cent, will be accorded depending on the location of the business in the downtown core.

The program currently awaits rubber-stamping by the province, though it is expected to be in place and operable by spring 2007.

However, the total funding allotted to the program by the city is $250,000, a number which Luoma expects to be spent quite rapidly as interest from the business community has been quite strong.

"It's a very small step," says Susan Thompson, director, Downtown Village Development Corporation (DVDC). "For a city the size of Sudbury, $250,000 is not a lot of money, because a planner from Marathon says that they're looking at the same amount for a city of 5,000 people. However, the important thing is that the step has been taken, and if the uptake is quick -- and it will be -- there will be a request for more funding."

A growing private-sector interest in the downtown core must be bolstered by a strong, unified visual appeal through public-sector spaces, thus creating a strong climate for additional investment, says Thompson.

To this end, multiple partners including the DVDC, Downtown Sudbury and the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation are pursuing the Downtown Sudbury Streetscape Design Project.

This project seeks to create a series of visual touches throughout the downtown's sidewalks and open spaces by constructing and installing themed street furniture as well as art and sculpture reflective of Northern Ontario heritage, Thompson says.

While funding applications are currently in the works, master drawings will soon be completed based on the concept art that has been produced by Sudbury-based Mark Elliot and Associates, with implementation beginning as early as spring 2007.

"I've been involved with the downtown for five years now, and it's probably the healthiest I've ever seen it," says Thompson.

By NICK STEWART

Northern Ontario Business