Greater Sudbury is expecting a building boom to transform the city in the next few years.

At Tuesday council meeting, city staff rhymed off a long list of projects in the works.

They include billions of dollars worth of upgrades to Vale's Copper Cliff complex, as well as new condominium buildings, big box retail expansions and additions to university and college campuses.

Guido Mazza, Sudbury's chief building official, said the boom comes thanks to growth in the mining sector.

"The city should see real economic and population growth during the next five years,” he said.

Consider contracts

That growth also means the creation of new jobs at the city.

City councillors approved in principle the hiring of three employees for the building services department to handle all the extra applications and inspections.

Several veteran employees are close to retirement, so staff said the number of workers may not go up in the long run.

That was noted by Mayor Marianne Matichuk, who said she hopes to stop the city workforce from growing.

"Would you consider contract positions, because three-year contract is a good, solid contract,” she said. “But it also gives you the opportunity if you hit another blip that we're not going to be increasing staff."

However, city staff said it's hard to get professionals to move to Sudbury without the promise of full-time work.