Work is finally progressing on a large swath of land in the east end of Greater Sudbury that local developer Dario Zulich has been attempting to build-up for at least 15 years. On Wednesday, crews were setting concrete for a new sidewalk along the street, now called Vanguard Drive. It’s just some of the activities underway at the ‘Kingsway Employment District’ or KED Business Park. “We’ll be busy here for the next decade, but it’s really exciting,” Zulich said speaking to CTV News on May 6. Zulich originally acquired the 180-acre property in 2008. He told CTV News he saw the potential then and still does today. “The city has to grow the east end and we’re poised for growth right now. I’ve always believed in that and now it’s coming together,” Zulich said. “I’m really excited. The interest has been outstanding.” The KED: A history The Kingsway property has a rocky past. In 2017, known as the Kingsway Entertainment District, it was chosen by the City of Greater Sudbury as the location for the city’s future municipal arena. A casino and hotel were also proposed for the site. But then in 2022, the city pulled out of the development when the price tag ballooned to $215 million. City’s role now limited to road funding In a statement emailed to CTV News, the City of Greater Sudbury said it “participated in partially funding the construction of Street C (now Vanguard Drive) through council-approved cost sharing and development charge credit agreements. The city chose to contribute to Street C (Vanguard Drive) because it will form part of an eventual north/south collector road between the Kingsway and Lasalle Boulevard identified in the city’s Official Plan.” Municipal staff also advised that more information on the city’s participation in the construction can be found in the staff report from the Finance and Administration Committee Meeting on April 22, 2025. “The city does not have any other connection to the Kingsway development property other than the standard development approval process,” the city’s email continued. “This will someday connect up on to Lasalle,” Zulich said referring to the new street. “The city is taking a longer-term vision of the east end of town.” It was announced last month that Dancor Construction will serve as the ‘preferred pricing partner for industrial and commercial construction’ at the site. “KED Business Park will continue to work with multiple construction and development partners as the project evolves. This structure ensures KED maintains strategic control while leveraging best-in-class execution partners to deliver projects efficiently,” read a news release on April 29. Zulich touts the KED Business Park as fully serviced, although those services have yet to be added. Two businesses signed on, construction coming this summer Two businesses have signed on, buying land within the business park. Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited confirmed in an email to CTV News, it purchased a parcel of land at 2550 Kingsway on June 30, 2025. But said it has “no further public announcement to make regarding any potential future development at the present time.” A ribbon cutting happened in August 2025 for Waste Management’s future site within the park. “Waste Management will be starting (construction) this summer. As is the casino – they’re in the process of doing planning. There’s a lot of planning that has to happen before actual shovels are in the ground. But there’s a number of plans going on a number of fronts here,” said Zulich. The location for Waste Management’s future facility is further up Vanguard Drive, while Gateway Casino will build its facility near the front of the KED Business Park. Given that thousands of vehicles drive along the Kingsway daily, that will be a highly visible site.
