At a cost of $4.42 million, the City of Greater Sudbury has hired Toronto-based Teeple Architects as the consultant for the design of the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square.
The $65-million municipal project is slated to include the creation of a new main branch library on the bottom three floors of city hall (200 Brady St.), and the creation of Art Gallery of Sudbury space at the bottom two floors of 199 Larch St.
Space will also be allotted at 200 Brady St. for the Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association.
The two buildings are attached, and most municipal services will shift from 200 Brady St. to the upper floors of 199 Larch St.
Eight companies bid on the request for proposals, including the local Bélanger Salach Architecture.
Teeple Architects is poised to enter into a collaborative partnership with southern Ontario’s Two Row Architect and Sudbury-based Yallowega Architecture.
“I am so pleased to see the selection of this team that has demonstrated incredible success with similar projects, and I look forward to working with Teeple, Two Row and Yallowega to move this project forward,” Mayor Paul Lefebvre said in a media release issued by the city.
“This project will be a catalyst for the revitalization of our downtown, establishing a contemporary, accessible and welcoming space for people to connect with art, information and each other.”
Teeple Architects has 35 years of experience renewing aging institutions and municipal buildings, with special focus on enhanced sustainability and accessibility, according to the city’s media release.
The firm recently led the design for the renewal of the Stanley A. Milner Library in Edmonton, built in 1967, to better serve as an “innovative and welcoming civic hub,” according to the company’s website. The $84.5-million project was completed in 2020.
“Two Row Architect brings an invaluable Indigenous perspective, and Yallowega Architecture offers local insight and representation,” according to the city’s media release. “Together, the core consulting team offers a long history of successful collaboration.”
The design team is expected to join city staff for a presentation to city council later this spring, which will be followed by the start of the schematic design.
Construction is expected to begin in mid-2025, and the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square is anticipated to open by the end of 2026.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
