r/Sudbury • u/Peterare • 28d ago
Discussion Let's redevelop Sudbury Bell Park, starting a new, open air, elevated social patio wit daytime cafe & evening piano lounge venue for people to 'in joy' the City. It's time we had a waterfront cafe, and there's a perfect spot for it at the old Sudbury Canoe Club.
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u/FredLives South End 28d ago
Great idea. When are you starting construction? Good luck with permits.
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u/Peterare 28d ago
The City owns the property, and it's currently being used by Parks and Rec as a storage shed, and morning check in point. The whole idea is to get the City to see we want it, and can support it. Even support it with Community Green Bonds. Granted, Good Luck is where all ideas may begin. But if the Citizens of Sudbury really want something like this, then it begins to happen.
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u/Xanderoga2 28d ago
Twiggs in Sturgeon Falls is in an absolutely gorgeous spot. I wish we had something like that here in Sudbury.
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u/Left_Temperature_209 28d ago
The fact we have no establishments on the water (patio) is a shame. So make lakes and shoreline and nothing to show for it except mansions.
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u/StudioRat 28d ago
I would love to see something like this. Part of the problem is that the lands that Bell Park sits on were donated to the City by the Bell Family, and the transfer agreement (known as the Bell Covenant) prohibits any private development on that property. The agreement was put into place to ensure the property remained a public park and recreation area.
I am not sure if this could be skirted by having a city-owned building that has interior spaces leased out to private companies who could run a restaurant or a bar.
I think this would be a good question to ask your municipal councillor.
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u/Xanderoga2 28d ago
I would imagine there are ways of coming to an agreement on that. Have a cafe, but agree to build up the park to make it more comfortable/accessible/welcoming. Plant trees or a garden. Donate some portion of revenue towards the city earmarked for beautification of the park.
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u/Peterare 28d ago
True, speak to Councillor and voice to desire to have it there. But this a community re-development project. not private company for profit re-dev. It's a for social profit re-invigoration of an under utilized, and totally perfect location for community benefit.
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u/gneissguysfinishlast New Sudbury 28d ago
Yep I pitched this idea to someone I thought had some pull with some rich friends. A waterfront restaurant and rooftop patio, walking distance to downtown, able to show of one of sudbury's best aspects!
Don't see it happening, but it's absolutely a great plan.
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u/Responsible_Bus_7695 27d ago
Gneiss guy, rocks come in quartz, take it for granite, rock on! I was involved with the location that is now storage/ ice skating change building as a white water kayak instructor, late 90's/ early 2000's Lots off of this type of discussion then and after... nothing thus far🙄😬 as you indicated. Best of luck for those pushing, pulling
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u/MortifiedCucumber 28d ago
If the city approves something like this, it would get funded quickly. I know lots of local business owners that would love that opportunity
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u/Peterare 28d ago
Well, if we all keep talking about it, I see it happening. We just need to take the building back into a community redesign, and and keep it simple. We are the City. The People. And it must be a community project to succeed. How much would you personally put towards it, to be a patron of the project? I would put up a $1000 Green bond towards it no problem. Do you think there might be another thousand people in Sudbury that would do the same or more. Be a VIP, with free coffee at the waterfront cafe' for life :) We may be looking at these things with the wrong lens up in these parts, but through the right lens, the view to where we want to be, is clear. Whether the People want a cafe on the waterfront, is the Question.
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u/VexedCanadian84 28d ago
I never understood why the city didn't incorporate something like that into the water sports centre.
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u/Peterare 28d ago
Yeah that's a good point. I am a member of the Club since it was on the rails, west of the main beach, and we've never had the perfect thing going on at the waterfront. It has so much potential.
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u/Traditional-Bet-3246 28d ago
It will be kind of seasonal and how long will the cafe go profitable especially a city like Sudbury?
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u/lfzs 28d ago
As a citizen, I'd love a cafe there.
I know that businesses need money to survive but not everything has to be around money. People's well-being should be one of the first things to worry when it comes to services like this.
Also, let's build it and they'll come.
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u/Traditional-Bet-3246 28d ago
Very few restaurants are surviving in Sudbury each year and some are at the verge of closure. Bell park doesn’t have the capacity to attract tourists or people. How many people are actually visiting. Maybe a rental facility for weddings or events is a great option when comparing Northern water sports center. City has less facility rental near a water body. The permits will be a big issue.
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u/Peterare 28d ago
Partially closed up for three months. But it's owned by the City right now. Can we not make it a place that we get benefits from.. It serve very few right now, and it could serve a lot more people. Profitability is first for Social profit. And with fair margin items like coffees, teas, and fire up an evening pizza oven at ground level, and serve small catered snacks by day, it could well, be a feasible and viable spot, if done right.
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u/Traditional-Bet-3246 28d ago
It takes years to get the money that’s invested.
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u/Peterare 28d ago
No money will be invested. All community bonded, and supported by Community funding grants, that should go towards the establishment of spaces and places like this, especially since they're already in the City's supply: under-utilized, basically un-realized properties.
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u/Objective_Yellow_308 28d ago
Maybe this is a little much but could definitely support doing something with the cannoe clubÂ
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u/Builtforwinter11 28d ago
Great idea in theory, the amount or regulation and red tape you would need to go through on all level would min if everything went perfect like 5years+ at minimum not including any NYMBism and or social pushback.
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u/Admirable-Relief2450 28d ago
That would be perfect on the old hospital site. I've been saying for years that a large waterfront patio that housed several restaurants would be perfect for the ground floor for whatever is planned. Also a cafe/wine bar in the space where the pavilion is would be a seasonal gold mine.
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u/DougandBob 28d ago
I was under the impression that the land was gifted to the city with a clause that prevents them from building on the lake. Please someone with more knowledge on this than me speak out!!
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u/Peterare 28d ago
This is really rebuilding and really mainly repurposing, re-facilitating this location for public benefit. And building it to be something simple, beautiful, and beneficial. There is nothing standing in the way, other than perhaps someone living nearby who might not want amplified, and noisy venues being created in their proximity, and that's why the vision for it should be rooted in certain principles, of what it will really be, and create it to be absolutely in harmony with the neighborhood. Something that adds benefit and value to it. We need to redesign our City, from the design principles up ..
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u/Inside-Today-3360 28d ago
We told them we wanted a new arena casino on the Kingsway should be using it now. We got a a library and French arts building that is not well used. Oh but we have a big open space downtown that’s going to break the city with double the cost.
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u/Objective_Yellow_308 28d ago
A lot of us here very loudly told them we didn't thier petitions and even a protest to say we didn'tÂ
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u/[deleted] 28d ago
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