At a press conference Friday morning the GSCC urged council to proceed with the immediate redevelopment and renewal of the Elisabella and Lapointe industrial parkland and enforced that the city should bear one hundred percent of the costs for the infrastructure upgrades for this specific area.
While the chamber appreciates the objective of achieving a measured and ultimately financially responsible approach to improving safety and creating capacity in all industrial park areas, we are now at a point where the seriousness of the situation and legal responsibility demands that an immediate resolution be found.
Some of the facts highlighting the urgency of this matter:
• Based on identified opportunities received from businesses in the two priority areas (Elisabella and Fielding), there is the potential for the creation of over 500 jobs, once servicing upgrades are complete.
• The proposed project of addressing infrastructure challenges aligns with the city’s broad strategic mission, in particular Economic Development and Focus on Opportunities. Facilitating and attracting new development projects will strengthen our economic and social development, which is vital to a prosperous and healthy community.
The chamber wants to make it clear that any decision taken with respect to Elisabella and Lapointe represents the unique circumstances affecting this particular area; it must not be precedent for the other parklands as they have their own set of issues and must be judged accordingly.
(In the above photo from left to right: Fabio Bello, Councillor Ward 8, Robert Brouillette, City Welding, Glenn Fuller, Northern Logistics, Mark Weiman, Chair, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce)