Ottawa Baseball Stadium

[EdFromOttawa]

Can-Am Baseball league returning in 2015.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-inks-deal-for-can-am-league-baseball-in-2015-1.2506570

[J.OT13]

Can-Am Baseball league returning in 2015.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-inks-deal-for-can-am-league-baseball-in-2015-1.2506570

We've been having a lot of trouble with Baseball over the last 10 years and considering that this is from a league we've seen before (and a step down from the Lynx), I'm doubtful this one will have greater success.

I would recommend we wait until 2018 (ORT opening) before we try our hand a, what is this, our 4th Baseball team?

[JeffB]

We've been having a lot of trouble with Baseball over the last 10 years and considering that this is from a league we've seen before (and a step down from the Lynx), I'm doubtful this one will have greater success.

I would recommend we wait until 2018 (ORT opening) before we try our hand a, what is this, our 4th Baseball team?

4th if you count the Fat Cats who seemed outwardly to be making it work before their lease was terminated. As an amateur/semi-pro team they had a different business model which may have been working.

Where I am doubtful on this one is not so much that the Can-Am Rapidz failed before, but I'm concerned that there still isn't an "owner." At this point I believe the League is going to be running the team - I haven't seen anything otherwise. This is not reassuring. It even sounded a bit like they submitted the bid just to make sure they got one in, not really expecting to win the RFP. Not realizing that the AA group might screw up.

Honestly, I think when the city had the 2 proposals on the table (AA and Can-Am) they should have gone back to both groups and given them some more time (maybe 20-30 days) to offer a better deal. If the AA group came in with a renovation cost that was too high (which seems to be what happened), tell them that and ask them to come up with a revised price. You would think though that after a couple of years of negotiating they wouldn't have come in high. And the Can-Am league should have had to come back with some semblance of an ownership group. But that's just my 2 cents, which I know would get rounded down now that the penny has been eliminated.

[rocketphish]

Champions say Welcome to Parc Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park

Norman Provencher, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 12, 2015, Last Updated: March 12, 2015 12:31 PM EDT

Ottawa’s Can-Am league representatives, the Champions, announced Thursday that naming rights to the Ottawa baseball stadium on Coventry Road in the east end have been sold well-known accounting firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thompson (RCGT).

The Quebec-based firm has more than 100 offices in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes.

The cost of the three-year naming rights deal was not released.

RCGT was known for decades as Raymond Chabot Martin Paré, with the acronym RCMP.

The firm lists a variety of specialties on its website including financial planning and insolvency.

The ball club recently announced a partnership deal with Montreal-based Sportscene Group, which operates sports pub Le Cage aux Sports and which operates concessions for other Can-Am teams as well as for the Major League Soccer team the Montreal Impact.

The partnership will see Sportscene invest $100,000 at the now Raymond Chabot Grant Thompson park to upgrade concession stands.

The company has also signed agreements with The Clocktower Brew Pub and Kichesippi Beer Company to bring their microbrews to the ballpark.

And Ottawa franchise Gabriel Pizza will be supplying pizza.

The Champions kick off their 2015 season at home May 22 versus the Sussex County Miners, another expansion team in the Can-Am league.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/champions-say-welcome-to-parc-raymond-chabot-grant-thornton-park

[rocketphish]

Champions say Welcome to Parc Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park

Norman Provencher, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 12, 2015, Last Updated: March 12, 2015 12:31 PM EDT

Ottawa’s Can-Am league representatives, the Champions, announced Thursday that naming rights to the Ottawa baseball stadium on Coventry Road in the east end have been sold well-known accounting firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thompson (RCGT).

The Quebec-based firm has more than 100 offices in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes.

The cost of the three-year naming rights deal was not released.

RCGT was known for decades as Raymond Chabot Martin Paré, with the acronym RCMP.

The firm lists a variety of specialties on its website including financial planning and insolvency.

The ball club recently announced a partnership deal with Montreal-based Sportscene Group, which operates sports pub Le Cage aux Sports and which operates concessions for other Can-Am teams as well as for the Major League Soccer team the Montreal Impact.

The partnership will see Sportscene invest $100,000 at the now Raymond Chabot Grant Thompson park to upgrade concession stands.

The company has also signed agreements with The Clocktower Brew Pub and Kichesippi Beer Company to bring their microbrews to the ballpark.

And Ottawa franchise Gabriel Pizza will be supplying pizza.

The Champions kick off their 2015 season at home May 22 versus the Sussex County Miners, another expansion team in the Can-Am league.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/champions-say-welcome-to-parc-raymond-chabot-grant-thornton-park

:previous: Well, they got the company name right in the article title anyway. Fail.

[rocketphish]

Transit changes won't trip up baseball

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Sunday, April 26, 2015 03:49 PM EDT | Updated: Sunday, April 26, 2015 04:16 PM EDT

http://storage.ottawasun.com/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1297432995940_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=100&size=800x

The bigwig of Ottawa’s new baseball team doesn’t expect the Transitway shutdown in June to throw the club a sinking curveball.

David Gourlay, president of the Ottawa Champions, pointed out there will still be bus routes that serve Tremblay Rd. where fans can walk over the new pedestrian bridge that connects the Via Rail station with Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park.

“At this point in time, I don’t see any negative impact on our fans,” Gourlay said.

The city will close the eastern stretch of the Transitway on June 28 to begin the conversion to LRT. That means buses that normally use the Transitway will be diverted to Hwy. 417.

However, several routes that serve the Transitway station at Via will skip the station completely when the buses move to the highway.

For example, Routes 91, 94, 95 and express routes will bypass the train station. Route 96 will continue to serve the station and will stop near the entrance of the pedestrian bridge.

It will be that way for about three years — or almost three full baseball seasons — until the Confederation Line LRT begins operations in spring 2018.

The city didn’t construct the $12-million pedestrian bridge specifically to serve the baseball stadium, but it will help transit-riding fans get to games. The bridge was built largely to serve the Overbrook community when LRT starts running.

Gourlay has bought into the city’s mantra of short-term pain for long-term gain when it comes to transit service.

“That’s exactly my attitude on this. It’s totally worth going through this minimal interruption,” he said.

The Can-Am League team is less than a month away from taking the field. Opening day for the Champions at the city-owned stadium is May 22 when they play the Sussex County Miners.

Gourlay said a new video scoreboard will be installed in two weeks. La Cage Aux Sports is fitting up the concessions and a new barbecue area is being installed.

Gourlay wouldn’t say how many season tickets have been sold, but he noted that all nine refurbished suites and the party room are booked for the first game.

Ticket sales “are getting more and more brisk,” Gourlay said, and he expects them to pick up as the hockey season winds down.

A new sign will go on the stadium soon and players will begin arriving May 4 to prepare for the season.

“We’re right where we want to be and I’m pretty happy with it,” Gourlay said.

jon.willing@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/04/26/transit-changes-wont-trip-up-baseball

[J.OT13]

City ends struggling Ottawa Champions baseball team’s stadium lease

David Sali, OBJ
June 28, 2019

The City of Ottawa is renegotiating its lease deal with pro baseball’s Ottawa Champions after the club fell more than $400,000 behind in rent payments at the city-owned 10,000-seat stadium on Coventry Road.

In a memo to the city’s finance and economic development committee released Thursday, city staff said the club’s lease has been torn up and replaced with a “facility use agreement” that will see the Champions pay an hourly rate to rent the stadium just like any other tenant. According to the memo, the Champions asked the city to “consider a new arrangement” for operating the team after years of underperforming at the box office.

The Champions will now pay a commercial rate of $128.25 an hour to use the park, with a premium of $48.35 an hour tacked on for night games to cover lighting costs. The team will also pay the city $760 per game for extra staff support fees.

Under the new agreement, which must be approved by city council, the city expects to earn about $163,000 in revenues each year. The city will also reduce its maintenance standards for the stadium accordingly, bringing the park more in line with other municipal sports fields.

Champions owner Miles Wolff told OBJ the new deal, which will run through 2024, should save the club up to $300,000 over the course of a full season.

“With this lease, it certainly puts us on a much better financial footing,” he said, noting the club paid the city an average of about $8,000 a game under the previous lease, as opposed to about $2,500 under the new deal. “It’ll certainly make this a much more viable franchise.”

Under the old lease, which was signed in late 2013 and was expected to last for 10 seasons, the Champions paid a total of $358,000 a year to rent the facility. The city was also slated to receive 10 per cent of all gross concession revenues that exceeded $1.2 million per season, $1 for each car that parked in the stadium lot and 50 per cent of all net naming rights that surpassed $200,000.

But in Thursday’s memo, the city said the Champions’ revenue projections “are not being realized,” causing the team to fall behind in its rent payments. It blamed several factors, including the weather, a lack of resources to promote the club and poor access to public transit, a situation made worse by continued delays in the opening of the Confederation LRT line that services the nearby Ottawa train station.

“We were expecting the LRT to be ready last year,” Wolff said, adding the team has averaged only about 1,500 fans a game so far in 2019, thanks in part to “awful” weather in May. “There have been several things that we didn’t expect that came up, so here we are.”

Wolff said he’s hoping some hot, sunny summer days and the end of the school year will help boost the average attendance figure closer to 2,000 by season’s end.

“Once school is out, that’s when we really see an uptick,” he said. “July and August are always our best months.”

Wolff said he continues to seek new ownership for the team. When the Champions joined the Can-Am League in 2015, Wolff – who is also the league’s commissioner – agreed to own the franchise until Ottawa-based owners could be found.

“I never intended to own the club,” he said. “Hopefully, we can find (local buyers) sometime in the near future.”

Wolff said it didn’t help matters that the city has floated the idea of using the stadium and land around it for future affordable housing development. Many fans, he says, heard media reports about the proposal and assumed the stadium was destined for the wrecking ball.

“I just had a couple of fans come up to me last night saying, ‘Oh, this is the last year of the team,’” he said. “It’s tough to build fans if they think the team is gonna leave. In my mind, if we’re doing well, the city won’t tear down the ballpark. And if we’re not doing well, well then, in seven years or so, maybe they should. But it’s certainly nothing immediate.”

According to the city memo, the Champions have agreed to repay a total of $418,942 in outstanding rent to the city in several instalments. About $200,000 is slated to be repaid by Sept. 30, with the rest to be doled out in several payments from 2020 to 2023. Wolff said the first portion will be paid in July.

The city also said the new deal will allow it to explore “other revenue options” for the ballpark, such as hosting more special events. The report also said the parking lot could be rezoned to “broaden the scope of allowable uses and business opportunities.”

The finance and economic development committee will vote on the agreement at its next meeting on July 10.

https://obj.ca/article/city-ends-struggling-ottawa-champions-baseball-teams-stadium-lease

[J.OT13]

The Max Keeping Bridge opened in February 2015 and the Transitway closed April 2015. The Champions never had a chance.

Hopefully they are still around next year to benefit from the Confederation Line (assuming it's open by then). I'd like to see OSEG buy the team and replicate the Lansdowne Park model. With the eventual redevelopment of St-Laurent and maybe the Best Buy/Canadian Tire big box mall, a baseball team in Ottawa could be successful again. Maybe the Champions could upgrade to a Blue Jays or Expos (should they return) Farm Team.

[kwoldtimer]

$400G in arrears! Did they ever pay any rent?

[phil235]

$400G in arrears! Did they ever pay any rent?

Well, just doing the math, they should have paid a total of $1.8 million as of this year, plus the percentage of concessions. So, yes.

Not surprising that they are way behind this year. Even without the LRT issue, the weather has been absolutely horrible for baseball. And they lost one of their biggest crowds of the year when the Saturday game against the Cuban national team got rained out.

Hopefully they have at least some marketing budget to remind people that they are playing.

[rocketphish]

Ottawa Stadium's future hinges on more revenue opportunities to offset growing tax requirement

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: July 4, 2019

https://postmediaottawacitizen2.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/118087.jpg?quality=55&strip=all&w=600

The future of Ottawa’s municipal baseball stadium could hinge on the city finding other money-making activities to offset growing operating costs for the aging one-sport facility.

Mayor Jim Watson said Wednesday his objective is to make sure the Ottawa Stadium operations break even for municipal taxpayers.

However, to get there, the city will have to get creative, especially since revenue from the most high-profile customer is tumbling.

The city ended a 10-year lease with the Ottawa Champions to give the baseball team a better shot at survival under a cheaper rental scheme. Instead of locking in long-term lease payments, the team will rent the stadium at hourly rates. Champions owner Miles Wolff said last week he intends to field the team for several years.

The deal keeps professional baseball in Ottawa, but it’s not an ideal financial game plan for city hall.

The costs to run the stadium have increased since city council brought back the Can-Am League to Ottawa.

The net operating cost of the stadium — that is, the amount of tax money required after revenues are deducted — was $494,123 in 2018. City council in 2013 approved a 10-year lease with the Ottawa Champions with an understanding the net operating cost would be $400,000.

The stadium’s gross operating costs in 2018 had a budget of $894,360. The Champions, the main tenant, provided the city with $363,000.

The new arrangement will have the Champions pay hourly rental rates adding up to a total of $162,844 in annual revenue for the city.

“Like most municipal recreation facilities, the stadium does not break even on recovering its operating costs with user fees,” according to Dan Chenier, the city’s general manager in charge of parks and recreation.

To save money, the city is reducing the enhanced maintenance standards for the ballpark. It’s also considering how it can use the parking lot to generate revenue through a rezoning process.

Coun. Allan Hubley was one of three councillors who voted against the lease deal in 2013. He doesn’t support spending more tax money on stadium operations and he believes the city should be examining the redevelopment potential of the stadium property.

The city has identified the stadium land as a possible development site for affordable housing one day.

“We knew at that time we could sell that property and not have to put more tax dollars into it,” Hubley said Wednesday, recalling the 2013 decision.

“Give council credit. They did make all the necessary investments to try to make it work, but it just hasn’t worked. It’s not really taken off as a concert venue, it’s not taken off as a baseball event. I don’t think for lack of effort by the owner, by any means. I think they’ve done everything they could to field something decent, but there’s only a few teams in that league. How many times do you want to see the same two teams play?”

The Can-Am League has six teams.

The 10,000-seat stadium, whose official name is Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park under a naming rights deal, was built in 1993.

Watson said he’s committed to trying to make professional baseball survive in Ottawa.

“I want baseball to succeed because we have a $17-million stadium that taxpayers invested in heavily many years ago and it’s a uni-purpose facility. It’s not a multi-purpose facility,” Watson said.

Watson said he was encouraged to see attendance increase for the Champions games on the Canada Day weekend.

The stadium deal needed to be changed for both sides, Watson said.

“Having an empty stadium does us no good and charging the fees that we were, (the owner) was never able to make a profit. I remain optimistic that we have a good team and we have a good manager and good owner that has deep roots in semi-pro baseball, but we need the fans to come out to show it.”

Watson said council isn’t at a point where it has to decide the future of the stadium property. He’s hoping the Champions will succeed as a business, possibly bolstered by a future LRT connection.

“My best advice to baseball fans in Ottawa is start showing up and supporting the Champions, and (to) the corporate community, start showing up and sponsoring the Champions so we can have a long-term future that’s viable,” Watson said.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-stadiums-future-hinges-on-more-revenue-opportunities-to-offset-growing-tax-requirement

[J.OT13]

Diane Deans wanted to have a conversation about the new Champion's lease. The Mayor denied her that right. No surprise.

https://twitter.com/KatePorterCBC/status/1148950591152033793

[rocketphish]

A 'new low': Committee refuses councillor's call to ask questions on Ottawa stadium baseball deal

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: July 10, 2019

The powerful finance and economic development committee on Wednesday refused a councillor’s call to put the new Ottawa stadium deal on the table for discussion.

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans, who’s not a member of the committee, asked that a staff memo detailing the new stadium agreement with the Ottawa Champions be added to the agenda. The memo was included in the agenda package only for information.

No one on the committee, chaired by Mayor Jim Watson, vocally supported Deans’s request, so she was denied. The committee’s members include chairs of other committees, the chair of the library board, the chair of the transit commission and the three deputy mayors.

After the meeting, Watson said staff “were designated to come back with a plan that was more reasonable in terms of cost, and people on (the committee) obviously agreed with that.”

However, Deans said she believes the council decision in 2013 to sign a 10-year lease agreement with the Champions didn’t give staff the authority to change the terms without coming back to council for approval.

Deans this term has been questioning the amount of authority being delegated to staff to make decisions without asking for council’s blessing.

“This is delegated authority running amok, plain and simple,” Deans said.

It’s a “new low” to see a committee block a non-member councillor from asking questions, she said.

“To me, it’s more than a courtesy, it’s a right of members of council,” Deans said.

The city cancelled the lease with the Ottawa Champions to give the Can-Am League baseball club a better chance at financial health. Instead of guaranteed revenue for the city under a lease, the city is allowing the club to rent the field for practices and games like any other group.

Deans said the new deal between the city and the Champions should push council to question the future of the stadium on Coventry Road.

The stadium property could be an attractive development site since it has footbridge access to the Tremblay LRT station and is near the Vanier Parkway ramps at Highway 417. The city has eyed the land for a possible affordable housing development in the future.

However, the Champions intend to play at the stadium for several more years.

“I think council needs to set a new vision and we need to talk about the future of that stadium and if that’s the direction that we want to go,” Deans said.

Deans said she intends to put council on notice that she’ll ask for a debate and vote at the Aug. 28 council meeting.

“You’ll get to hear the entire (list of) questions and some from my colleagues as well,” Deans said.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/a-new-low-committee-refuses-councillors-call-to-ask-questions-on-ottawa-stadium-baseball-deal

[pattherat]

Diane Deans wanted to have a conversation about the new Champion's lease. The Mayor denied her that right. No surprise.

https://twitter.com/KatePorterCBC/status/1148950591152033793

I agree with him on this one, Diane Deans loves the sound of her own voice and is pretty much a bell end that doesn’t listen to presentations and then re-asks questions that were part of said presentations.

[J.OT13]

She's still an elected official. Watson has a knack to silence anyone who doesn't agree with him, be it level headed Leiper and McKenney or loud/angry Menard and Deans.

[rocketphish]

Is this game over for Ottawa's baseball stadium?
Current deal with Champions not in city's financial interests, says councillor

Kate Porter · CBC News
Posted: Sep 10, 2019 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 9 hours ago

https://i.cbc.ca/1.5228854.1564414998!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/rcgt-park-ottawa-champions-baseball-stadium.jpg

An Ottawa city councillor is asking whether it might be time to call the game for Ottawa's baseball stadium.

"At what point do we say to the community, 'Do you want to keep funding this use here, even though very few people are attending that stadium, attending baseball games?'" Coun. Diane Deans asked.

"Or, is it time that we considered perhaps other uses for that property?"

Councillors on the finance and economic development committee will hear an update on the city-owned stadium on Coventry Road on Tuesday.

They'll also learn the latest on the agreement with the Ottawa Champions, the Can-Am League baseball team owned by Independent Baseball of Ottawa Inc.

City staff terminated the 10-year lease council had approved in 2014 after the Champions fell $418,942 behind on rent.

The Champions were put on a repayment plan and entered into an arrangement to rent the stadium by the hour for the duration of the 2019 season, which ended last week.

Average attendance at home games was 1,800 this season, according to the Can-Am League's website. The stadium has capacity for more than 10,000 fans.

The new arrangement meant $162,844 in revenue for the City of Ottawa, less than half of what it earned with the lease in place, but at least the club could keep operating and pay back the overdue rent, staff reasoned.

The Champions paid hourly commercial rental rates, but also received special permission to keep using office space, operating concessions and parking on game days, and retained naming rights on the stadium, currently named for accounting firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton.

"What we have is a seasonal permit, and we've given them all the benefits of a long-term lease. It's not in the financial interests of the city," Deans said.

Deans takes issue with staff changing the terms without asking for council's approval, but was prevented from asking any questions at a July meeting.

Councillors received a memo from city staff responding to her concerns last week, but Deans said she still doesn't have the answers she was looking for.

The memo did underline that the Champions' seasonal permit was only to help them through their 2019 season, and can be reassessed each year.

The City of Ottawa has considered the stadium site on Coventry Road for a future affordable housing development, and a few councillors have wondered if it would be better to develop the land.

Ottawa Champions owner Miles Wolff was unavailable Monday to comment on the rental arrangement with the city, or the future of his team.

In July, a spokesperson told CBC News the team plans to remain in Ottawa until at least 2023.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/baseball-stadium-future-deans-1.5276609

[J.OT13]

I hope they can survive at least one more year. They were in a major disadvantage from the very beginning: the same year the Champions started playing, the Max Keeping Bridge opened and the Transitway closed, all before the start of their season. Two more seasons were lost because of the Confederation Line delay and now it opens a few weeks after their 2019 season ended. Give it one more year to see what kind of effect the Confederation Line would have on attendance.

[phil235]

Is this game over for Ottawa's baseball stadium?
Current deal with Champions not in city's financial interests, says councillor

Kate Porter · CBC News
Posted: Sep 10, 2019 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 9 hours ago

https://i.cbc.ca/1.5228854.1564414998!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/rcgt-park-ottawa-champions-baseball-stadium.jpg

An Ottawa city councillor is asking whether it might be time to call the game for Ottawa's baseball stadium.

"At what point do we say to the community, 'Do you want to keep funding this use here, even though very few people are attending that stadium, attending baseball games?'" Coun. Diane Deans asked.

"Or, is it time that we considered perhaps other uses for that property?"

Councillors on the finance and economic development committee will hear an update on the city-owned stadium on Coventry Road on Tuesday.

They'll also learn the latest on the agreement with the Ottawa Champions, the Can-Am League baseball team owned by Independent Baseball of Ottawa Inc.

City staff terminated the 10-year lease council had approved in 2014 after the Champions fell $418,942 behind on rent.

The Champions were put on a repayment plan and entered into an arrangement to rent the stadium by the hour for the duration of the 2019 season, which ended last week.

Average attendance at home games was 1,800 this season, according to the Can-Am League's website. The stadium has capacity for more than 10,000 fans.

The new arrangement meant $162,844 in revenue for the City of Ottawa, less than half of what it earned with the lease in place, but at least the club could keep operating and pay back the overdue rent, staff reasoned.

The Champions paid hourly commercial rental rates, but also received special permission to keep using office space, operating concessions and parking on game days, and retained naming rights on the stadium, currently named for accounting firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton.

"What we have is a seasonal permit, and we've given them all the benefits of a long-term lease. It's not in the financial interests of the city," Deans said.

Deans takes issue with staff changing the terms without asking for council's approval, but was prevented from asking any questions at a July meeting.

Councillors received a memo from city staff responding to her concerns last week, but Deans said she still doesn't have the answers she was looking for.

The memo did underline that the Champions' seasonal permit was only to help them through their 2019 season, and can be reassessed each year.

The City of Ottawa has considered the stadium site on Coventry Road for a future affordable housing development, and a few councillors have wondered if it would be better to develop the land.

Ottawa Champions owner Miles Wolff was unavailable Monday to comment on the rental arrangement with the city, or the future of his team.

In July, a spokesperson told CBC News the team plans to remain in Ottawa until at least 2023.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/baseball-stadium-future-deans-1.5276609

It would be a shame to see the City pull the plug on the stadium, especially just before the LRT opens. The Champions' business plan included rapid transit access, so it's no surprise that they have suffered during the 2-season delay.

Yes, it's too big for the Champions, but there is always a possibility of an Expos or even a Jays farm team locating here. Once the stadium is gone, it's gone. This is the kind of asset that makes Ottawa a better, more interesting place to live. Another set of condos doesn't do that.

Even though the team only gets 1800-2000 per game, that is for 50-some games a year, so it's still quite a few people using the facility. Not sure about how much more use it gets, but I know that it was used for the university championships last fall, and there is no reason that the City couldn't be attempting to attract more events, including national team games.

If redevelopment is the goal, why not start with the parking lots? Those could easily be developed and a parking structure included in the first phase.

[J.OT13]

If redevelopment is the goal, why not start with the parking lots? Those could easily be developed and a parking structure included in the first phase.

I agree. Adopt a Lansdowne model for the stadium starting with the parking lots. Buy off the land occupied by the big box stores to the east (which the City short-shortsightedly sold for the big box stores years ago) and possibly the RCMP building and parking lot. We could eventually have continuous urban development from the Vanier Parkway to St-Laurent Boulevard.

[lrt's friend]

We will tear the stadium down one or two years before the return of the Montreal Expos and lose the possibility of double or triple A ball here in Ottawa. I guarantee there will be so much hype if the Expos return, that large crowds would also return here for a minor league team affiliate.

[CityTech]

I agree. Adopt a Lansdowne model for the stadium starting with the parking lots. Buy off the land occupied by the big box stores to the east (which the City short-shortsightedly sold for the big box stores years ago) and possibly the RCMP building and parking lot. We could eventually have continuous urban development from the Vanier Parkway to St-Laurent Boulevard.

The city owned the land occupied by Canadian Tire and Best Buy?

[le calmar]

It would be a shame to see the City pull the plug on the stadium, especially just before the LRT opens. The Champions' business plan included rapid transit access, so it's no surprise that they have suffered during the 2-season delay.

Yes, it's too big for the Champions, but there is always a possibility of an Expos or even a Jays farm team locating here. Once the stadium is gone, it's gone. This is the kind of asset that makes Ottawa a better, more interesting place to live. Another set of condos doesn't do that.

Even though the team only gets 1800-2000 per game, that is for 50-some games a year, so it's still quite a few people using the facility. Not sure about how much more use it gets, but I know that it was used for the university championships last fall, and there is no reason that the City couldn't be attempting to attract more events, including national team games.

If redevelopment is the goal, why not start with the parking lots? Those could easily be developed and a parking structure included in the first phase.

What kind of numbers are they expecting? I think 1,800 to 2,000 is reasonable and comparable to most other teams in the league. It would be unreasonable to expect big crowds for such a small league. I agree with you, it's nice to have the option to go watch a baseball game on a nice summer evening. It's really a quality of life thing. Tearing the stadium down would be a mistake, there are plenty of other sites to develop.

[phil235]

What kind of numbers are they expecting? I think 1,800 to 2,000 is reasonable and comparable to most other teams in the league. It would be unreasonable to expect big crowds for such a small league.

They were right in the middle of the pack in that league. I think they were hoping for something closer to 2500 per game. With the LRT operating, I expect they might close that gap considerably. Likewise with a better team (this one was in last place).

[J.OT13]

Some great news! Hopefully the City doesn't screw it up.

Ottawa Champions sale expected by end of September

NORMAN PROVENCHER | Updated: September 10, 2019
Postmedia

Miles Wolff, owner of the Ottawa Champions baseball team, says he’s pretty sure there will be pro baseball in the capital next season.

And he’s positive he won’t be part of it.

“This is it,” he said over the phone from his home in North Carolina on Tuesday.

“I really have to have it sold in the next two or three weeks. Both for me and for the league. The league has to know for preparing schedules and other things,” he said.

Wolff said he’s in talks with a couple of groups, one of which he categorized as “very, very interested” in the team. He won’t say whether the prospects are Ottawa-based but said both want to stay in Ottawa.

“I’m basically selling the club for debt,” Wolff said. Essentially, the buyers would have to assume the $400,000 or so the club owes the City of Ottawa for back rent on RCGT stadium.

The city and ball team worked out a new arrangement this summer, when the city tore up the 2013 lease under which the Champions were badly in default. The city allowed the team to rent the ball park on a game-by-game basis, while the team kept revenues from parking, concessions and the naming rights from RCGT.

“Basically (it) means we rent for $3,000 a game instead of $9,000 a game,” Wolff said.

The new agreement has its opponents. A number of city councillors told a committee meeting Tuesday that the city should explore ways to get other users, such as soccer or lacrosse groups, into the park. They also questioned whether the turf field could be replaced with artificial grass to make the field more versatile.

In the end, Coun. Laura Dudas proposed a motion to council with a number of caveats for baseball at RCGT park, including meeting with the new owners to review their financial viability. That would include the group’s capacity to enter into a seven- to 10-year lease with a proviso the city would be able to redevelop strategic parts of the stadium lands once LRT is fully implemented. The motion called for city staff to negotiate the lease before the start of the 2020 season and report back to council for approval. The motion also urged councillors, “local and national community groups and stakeholders” to identify opportunities for increased community usage of the stadium.

Council is to vote on the proposal Sept. 25.

Mayor Jim Watson said after the committee meeting he wants to see baseball continue at the stadium and make sure the facility has a long future.

Watson said the LRT delay — the stadium is connected to Tremblay Station by a footbridge — and limited bus service to the ball park hurt the main tenant this past season.

“Those were two strikes against the Champions,” Watson said.

Watson said he hopes the city can find a way forward with either Wolff or a new owner, and not give up on the baseball stadium.

Coun. Scott Moffatt pointed out during the committee meeting that fans could have seen some big-name Toronto Blue Jays prospects come through Ottawa if council had pursued a chance in 2013 to bring a double-A baseball club and potentially a Blue Jays farm team to the city.

Council ended up going with a cheaper option in signing a lease with the Champions and the Can-Am League, which didn’t require expensive stadium upgrades.

“(The double-A proposal) was a $40-million undertaking and we just didn’t have the money and I couldn’t in good faith invest $40 million to renovate a stadium that, quite frankly, is in pretty good shape, for double-A baseball,” Watson said.

Wolff said he “doesn’t see why the city would want to end (the new) arrangement, as long as the back debt is paid.”

“That should help a lot in selling the team.”

He said the Champions don’t have any other “significant” creditors.

The owner said he’s “sorry we weren’t able to make the team successful (but) all along I’ve said that local ownership is the key to making it work.

“I know this isn’t a dead franchise,” he said. “There’s strong support in the community and we haven’t even ever had a good team.”

The Champions won the Can-Am championship in 2016, backing into the playoffs with a fourth-place finish, then defeating the Rockland Boulders in the finals.

Even that year, the team only attracted an average of 2,454 spectators per game.

Attendance in 2019 averaged just about 1,800, third best in the six-team league in a stadium — purpose built for the triple-A level Ottawa Lynx — that’s twice the size of any other park in Can-Am.

Yet the team had some of its biggest 2019 crowds in the last couple of weeks of the season, after they had been eliminated from playoff contention. The Labour Day weekend featured a couple of crowds of well above 3,000 people.

“People can say I didn’t do this or that, and that may be true, (but) new ownership can bring new vision, new ideas, new contacts and connections.”

Areas that could improve include more corporate partnerships to boost season and/or group sales, and increased marketing efforts.

“I don’t feel that I got as involved in the community as I could have,” he said.

“All the elements for success are there.”

— With files from Jon Willing
https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/baseball/ottawa-champions-sale-expected-by-end-of-september

I attended games (2) for the first time this year. Once with my parents and nephews and another with one of my work buddies. It's a great show! Prices are very reasonable, you get some fresh air, much more freedom than RedBlacks or Sens games.

[phil235]

Some great news! Hopefully the City doesn't screw it up.


I attended games (2) for the first time this year. Once with my parents and nephews and another with one of my work buddies. It's a great show! Prices are very reasonable, you get some fresh air, much more freedom than RedBlacks or Sens games.

I really hope that he means that a sale is negotiated and they just need to finalize the terms. If this is just his wish, then it may not be good news after all. It doesn't sound like he will be operating the team next year.

I went to three games this year, all of which were well attended (3000+ fans). Tickets are cheap, the atmosphere is great and the baseball is very good. The Champions had a pitcher who was drafted 11th overall. I'm not likely to buy season tickets, but I would certainly miss going to the park on a few afternoons each year.

[OTownandDown]

I don't understand why the stadium is only used for the Champions?

Are there any rentals, concerts, shows, or anything else the City can use the stadium for? In this day and age, you have to have butts in the seats all the time. Seems like a waste to just play a couple dozen baseball games a year in a giant stadium.

[J.OT13]

I really hope that he means that a sale is negotiated and they just need to finalize the terms. If this is just his wish, then it may not be good news after all. It doesn't sound like he will be operating the team next year.

I went to three games this year, all of which were well attended (3000+ fans). Tickets are cheap, the atmosphere is great and the baseball is very good. The Champions had a pitcher who was drafted 11th overall. I'm not likely to buy season tickets, but I would certainly miss going to the park on a few afternoons each year.

Same. The game I attended on a Sunday afternoon wasn't very busy, but the Friday evening game a few weeks later was decently busy (I have no numbers).

Now that I've discovered baseball, I wouldn't mind taking in a few games a year.

I don't understand why the stadium is only used for the Champions?

Are there any rentals, concerts, shows, or anything else the City can use the stadium for? In this day and age, you have to have butts in the seats all the time. Seems like a waste to just play a couple dozen baseball games a year in a giant stadium.


We had a few other events, like the games against the Cubans last Spring and Women's baseball in August. I don't have all the details. But that's the City's failure, is it not?

[phil235]

We had a few other events, like the games against the Cubans last Spring and Women's baseball in August. I don't have all the details. But that's the City's failure, is it not?

Agreed it could get more use, but it's something like 52 regular season home games for the Champions, plus playoffs and whatever extra time they use the stadium. Given that we are talking the summer season here (May through maybe October), so that means that the Champions have it busy somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of the time.

There was the university championships last year for a week, and there is quite a bit of community use as well.

But agreed, they could certainly look at some high profile events to make it more viable. There has been the occasional concert held there, but I think the reality is that there are other, better venues for concerts in the city.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Agreed it could get more use, but it's something like 52 regular season home games for the Champions, plus playoffs and whatever extra time they use the stadium. Given that we are talking the summer season here (May through maybe October), so that means that the Champions have it busy somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of the time.

There was the university championships last year for a week, and there is quite a bit of community use as well.

But agreed, they could certainly look at some high profile events to make it more viable. There has been the occasional concert held there, but I think the reality is that there are other, better venues for concerts in the city.

uOttawa has entered a men's baseball team in the OUA (Ontario University Athletics) league. They play at this stadium. Does anybody go to watch them? Probably very few.

[OTownandDown]

Yes, this is the City's failure, and mirrors the cattle castle/Lansdowne.

Is there no office for programming public events at the City? How do these things get thought up, planned, and executed?

The only thing I can see about the baseball stadium is that the 'rent' that the baseball team paid got them exclusive rights to operate the stadium (which makes not a lot of sense). Now with a pay-by-the-game system, the City has an opportunity to think up other events to host at the stadium and get it used again. But without a strong office of creative people trying to run these things, I guess it'll just go unused, much like the cattle castle 6 days a week.


Same. The game I attended on a Sunday afternoon wasn't very busy, but the Friday evening game a few weeks later was decently busy (I have no numbers).

Now that I've discovered baseball, I wouldn't mind taking in a few games a year.




We had a few other events, like the games against the Cubans last Spring and Women's baseball in August. I don't have all the details. But that's the City's failure, is it not?

[CityTech]

^ Agreed. I honestly think the city needs to start contracting out event programming at city spaces.

[phil235]

^ Agreed. I honestly think the city needs to start contracting out event programming at city spaces.

I think some version of contracting out makes sense. I'm not sure that they want to fully cede responsibility for contracting to a private entity, as you want to make sure that the community retains access and that profitability isn't the only criteria determining what goes ahead. That said, it certainly seems like there would be room for an event-planning firm to be brought in with a mandate to fill up empty dates and a financial incentive to ensure regular use of these facilities.

[OTownandDown]

Well, your comment on profitability is telling. I suppose that's an entirely different conversation. Do you want City of Ottawa real estate to be profitable, non-profit, or a money pit? We're trending to giant money-pit at the moment (note I haven't seen 'operating and maintenance' mentioned in any of these articles but I assume it's in the millions per year).


I think some version of contracting out makes sense. I'm not sure that they want to fully cede responsibility for contracting to a private entity, as you want to make sure that the community retains access and that profitability isn't the only criteria determining what goes ahead. That said, it certainly seems like there would be room for an event-planning firm to be brought in with a mandate to fill up empty dates and a financial incentive to ensure regular use of these facilities.

[phil235]

Well, your comment on profitability is telling. I suppose that's an entirely different conversation. Do you want City of Ottawa real estate to be profitable, non-profit, or a money pit? We're trending to giant money-pit at the moment (note I haven't seen 'operating and maintenance' mentioned in any of these articles but I assume it's in the millions per year).

Well, I would definitely say that we aren't looking for profitability or even revenue-neutral. If that were the test, then every community centre, library and theatre in the city would be up for redevelopment.

These are public facilities that improve the quality of life in the city. I'm quite alright with financial support from the city. Without these assets, the city will have trouble attracting investment, skilled labour etc., so it's not a zero-sum proposition.

Edit: To respond to your comment about the stadium costing millions per year - according to a council document from 2012, the stadium has a useful lifespan of 70 years (until 2060) and the expected cost for the city to run and program the stadium for 10 years was $530,000 annually, including life cycle improvements. With a baseball tenant, the cost was lower, dependent on the lease options chosen.

[OTownandDown]

Ok, the $530,000 is not too bad. I'm assuming hydro/heating/water/etc. is about 50% of that, with the remainder being capital improvements and insurance. But I seriously doubt the capital improvements fund is adequate for the building, which is the usual for the City, so their operating expenses appear low until an 'emergency' need of funds come up and they scratch something together.

I agree with you regarding the non-revenue-neutralness of city property. This is a reason we have property tax. However the size of the pit should dictate how much attention the City pays to a site. For instance, a building I know of has only one limited paying tenant, and two pro-bono tenants who don't generate any income from the site. So the building is almost 100% no-revenue, yet costs millions over its lifespan for upkeep. Should we not be looking at how to generate more revenue from these sites? I see no problem with using a smart-condo method of having commercial spaces fronting the property with the non-profit spaces at the back benefiting from the rental.

As for the baseball stadium, the options include... baseball.. and... baseball.

or
Mud-run
Concert
Late-night yoga?



Well, I would definitely say that we aren't looking for profitability or even revenue-neutral. If that were the test, then every community centre, library and theatre in the city would be up for redevelopment.

These are public facilities that improve the quality of life in the city. I'm quite alright with financial support from the city. Without these assets, the city will have trouble attracting investment, skilled labour etc., so it's not a zero-sum proposition.

Edit: To respond to your comment about the stadium costing millions per year - according to a council document from 2012, the stadium has a useful lifespan of 70 years (until 2060) and the expected cost for the city to run and program the stadium for 10 years was $530,000 annually, including life cycle improvements. With a baseball tenant, the cost was lower, dependent on the lease options chosen.

[phil235]

Ok, the $530,000 is not too bad. I'm assuming hydro/heating/water/etc. is about 50% of that, with the remainder being capital improvements and insurance. But I seriously doubt the capital improvements fund is adequate for the building, which is the usual for the City, so their operating expenses appear low until an 'emergency' need of funds come up and they scratch something together.

I agree with you regarding the non-revenue-neutralness of city property. This is a reason we have property tax. However the size of the pit should dictate how much attention the City pays to a site. For instance, a building I know of has only one limited paying tenant, and two pro-bono tenants who don't generate any income from the site. So the building is almost 100% no-revenue, yet costs millions over its lifespan for upkeep. Should we not be looking at how to generate more revenue from these sites? I see no problem with using a smart-condo method of having commercial spaces fronting the property with the non-profit spaces at the back benefiting from the rental.

As for the baseball stadium, the options include... baseball.. and... baseball.

or
Mud-run
Concert
Late-night yoga?

No argument with trying to generate more revenue from these sites, particularly ones that sit empty frequently like the baseball stadium. I don't have a problem with hiring a firm to program the site and find other uses. I'd just like to see them keep some balance between community uses that won't be profitable, and money-generating uses. For instance, I wouldn't want to see the stadium programmed with events to the point where you couldn't rent it inexpensively for your minor baseball team. Or late-night yoga.

[rocketphish]

2 groups vying for baseball stadium lease
OSEG, Winnipeg Goldeyes among interested parties

Kate Porter · CBC News
Posted: Sep 25, 2019 1:17 PM ET | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

https://i.cbc.ca/1.5262342.1566993166!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/ottawa-champions-rcgt-park.jpg

Two "viable, legitimate" groups have approached the City of Ottawa about leasing its baseball stadium now that the struggling Champions are in default, councillors learned Wednesday.

One group includes the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), owner of the CFL Redblacks, the USL Fury and OHL 67's, and partner Regan Katz on behalf of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, a successful franchise in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

The other proposal comes from Rob Lavoie, Rob Abboud and Fred Saghbini.

Both groups are aware that the city expects them to clear nearly half a million dollars in debt the Champions owe before they can hit the field for the 2020 season, the city said.

"We're trying to minimize our loss and get our money back. It's been part of the negotiations," city manager Steve Kanellakos told councillors.

"We feel now that we have two viable, legitimate owners' groups who are interested in the team [and] who have the financial means to be able to deal with that outstanding debt."

Mayor Jim Watson encouraged other interested parties to come forward.

"I think that it's exciting that there are groups prepared to step up to the plate, excuse the pun, and bid to continue professional baseball in Ottawa," said Watson.

Champions owner Miles Wolff was on a repayment plan with the city, but missed his Sept. 4 payment, councillors also learned.

The city has now found him to be in default and will be cashing a $108,000 letter of credit.

Even with that payment the Champions owe $463,000 for missing rent payments in previous seasons, and for the hourly rate it was being charged during the 2019 season, which ended earlier this month.

Coun. Carol Anne Meehan questioned how any new owner could succeed where others have failed. City officials noted the light rail station at Tremblay will mean fans can now get to games on LRT.

Other councillors were less interested in the business of baseball, and more keen to see staff undertake a grander vision for how else the stadium site could be used.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/2-groups-baseball-stadium-lease-1.5296665

[harls]

The fact that the site is now serviced by LRT could also work against the case for baseball.

[Harley613]

The fact that the site is now serviced by LRT could also work against the case for baseball.

Agreed. It's a prime location for something OTHER than a money trap baseball stadium.

[phil235]

Agreed. It's a prime location for something OTHER than a money trap baseball stadium.

Wouldn’t that be the case for almost any public facility? Condo towers would be more lucrative than the money trap NAC - let’s rip it down!

[le calmar]

The population would not benefit from condos there instead of a baseball park. I understand that a condo project would bring some excitement to this forum during the construction stage but ultimately tearing down the stadium will result in a loss of a municipal infrastructure I consider essential for a city the size of Ottawa. I would give the stadium another chance with a new potential ownership.

[Harley613]

Wouldn’t that be the case for almost any public facility? Condo towers would be more lucrative than the money trap NAC - let’s rip it down!

I wouldn't equate a failing minor league baseball stadium in a market that has time and again failed to support a team to the National Arts Centre of a country of nearly 40 million people. That's ridiculous. I also didn't say anything about Condos. This would be a great location for a variety of important projects, public and private.

[phil235]

.

[phil235]

I wouldn't equate a failing minor league baseball stadium in a market that has time and again failed to support a team to the National Arts Centre of a country of nearly 40 million people. That's ridiculous. I also didn't say anything about Condos. This would be a great location for a variety of important projects, public and private.

You’re kind of missing my point. If you are using solely financial criteria to declare this a “failing” facility, then almost no public facility could meet that test - libraries, arenas, pools. This is a facility that sees something in the order of 100,000 people using it every year - fans, minor baseball teams etc. That has to be part of the consideration. At very least, the first option should be looking at development options that add to the site, rather than replacing it. Particularly given the fact that it finally has a proper transit link to give it a chance of success.

I’m curious - can you give an example of an important project that you see going on that site? I find a lot of these arguments to be very abstract. In my opinion, we shouldn’t compare the stadium against some conceptual ideal use that may never come to fruition. I’ve yet to hear of any actual plan for something that would go there (other than some kind of yet-to-be funded mixed use residential project that would include social housing and frankly could be built on any number of locations along the Confederation line.). Is there something specific that you see as having a higher value in that particular location?

[acottawa]

I think the city needs a more consistent policy for when it supports sports teams/facilities. The CFL got a massive investment, but other leagues seem to be told to FOAD. To me the priority here should be to get the AA team for the Jays, not these little independent leagues.

[phil235]

I think the city needs a more consistent policy for when it supports sports teams/facilities. The CFL got a massive investment, but other leagues seem to be told to FOAD. To me the priority here should be to get the AA team for the Jays, not these little independent leagues.

They did have a chance to bring AA here, but opted for the smaller investment. We'll see if that chance comes around again.

I really liked the idea that was floated of having the national team based out of the stadium (as a second tenant), but that didn't seem to get very far, I think because of a lack of financial support also.

[acottawa]

They did have a chance to bring AA here, but opted for the smaller investment. We'll see if that chance comes around again.

I really liked the idea that was floated of having the national team based out of the stadium (as a second tenant), but that didn't seem to get very far, I think because of a lack of financial support also.

Don't national teams get assembled for specific tournaments?

[phil235]

Don't national teams get assembled for specific tournaments?

Yeah, they do, but there is permanent infrastructure behind them. I think the idea was that the team administration would be based here, and they would hold camps and exhibition games here. It would have been sort of the same as Hockey Canada's base in Calgary. I thought it might work well as a secondary tenant in the stadium.

[rocketphish]

Champions baseball team sold to Ottawa trio, but future remains in the air

Norman Provencher, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: October 16, 2019

A trio of Ottawa investors has purchased the Ottawa Champions baseball team and says they are hopeful the team will return to the field next summer.

But the club’s return still depends on negotiating a new stadium lease with the city.

“We have secured an agreement with Miles Wolff for the Ottawa Champions (and) we look forward to meeting with the city to negotiate a new lease” for the Ottawa stadium on Coventry Road, said Ray Abboud.

Abboud said he and his partners Rob Lavoie and Fred Saghbini remain hopeful of being able to field a team in 2020, although he would not say who their opposition would be. Abboud is a financial planner, Lavoie runs local Play It Again Sports stores and Saghbini is in project management.

“All I can say is the fans will be pleased,” said Abboud.

Champions founder and long-time owner Miles Wolff confirmed the sale but stressed “it might not be worth anything until they have a new lease.”

Neither side would discuss the terms of the sale.

But Sam Katz, part of a group that has teamed with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group to make their own bid for the right to play at the stadium, says his group’s negotiations are continuing.

“What I can say is that the city has prepared some rigorous criteria on who they’re going to give the lease to, (and) we’re continuing to prepare that information,” said Katz in a telephone interview from Winnipeg.

Katz said the group has had communications with the city as well as email exchanges and remains committed to a bid.

He reiterated his group’s plan to mould a team that provides a total fan experience at the ballpark.

“I think we’ve established that we understand what it takes to market this kind of product,” said Katz, longtime owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, of the independent American Association of baseball. The Goldeyes club isn’t a part of the partnership between OSEG.

The news came shortly after the Frontier and Can-Am leagues announced a merger Wednesday that excluded the Ottawa Champions.

At the news conference, the new 14-team Frontier League (which will include five teams from the Can-Am league) expressed optimism that the Champions could be admitted to an expanded 20-team Frontier League for the 2021 season.

“Ottawa was in the conversation (about a merger),” Frontier League commissioner Bill Lee told a news conference Wednesday.

“But the fact was they had no valid (stadium) lease.”

The Champions still owe the city about $463,000 and city manager Steve Kanellakos thinks the best way forward is to see what happens with the two groups vying for the baseball club.

Some councillors questioned the viability of baseball in Ottawa and others wanted the city to begin a larger study on community uses for the facility.

Mayor Jim Watson wants to maintain the facility as a baseball stadium.

City management predicted that the next stadium lease would be better for the main tenant compared to what the Champions inked.

“The lease that the Champions signed was stacked against them,” city treasurer Marian Simulik said.

-With files from Jon Willing

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/champions-baseball-team-sold-to-ottawa-trio-but-future-remains-in-the-air

[Harley613]

You’re kind of missing my point. If you are using solely financial criteria to declare this a “failing” facility, then almost no public facility could meet that test - libraries, arenas, pools. This is a facility that sees something in the order of 100,000 people using it every year - fans, minor baseball teams etc. That has to be part of the consideration. At very least, the first option should be looking at development options that add to the site, rather than replacing it. Particularly given the fact that it finally has a proper transit link to give it a chance of success.

I’m curious - can you give an example of an important project that you see going on that site? I find a lot of these arguments to be very abstract. In my opinion, we shouldn’t compare the stadium against some conceptual ideal use that may never come to fruition. I’ve yet to hear of any actual plan for something that would go there (other than some kind of yet-to-be funded mixed use residential project that would include social housing and frankly could be built on any number of locations along the Confederation line.). Is there something specific that you see as having a higher value in that particular location?

Yeah pretty much anything other than a failing city owned stadium. Municipalities have mostly gotten out of the sole-ownership stadium business all over North America and in all sports. It's a money pit and it only benefits a microscopic portion of the city's residents. This would be a great spot for any number of private or public developments.

[acottawa]

I don't necessarily disagree, but "money pit that only benefits a small number of people" describes a whole bunch of city facilities. There needs to be some sort of policy here.

[phil235]

Yeah pretty much anything other than a failing city owned stadium. Municipalities have mostly gotten out of the sole-ownership stadium business all over North America and in all sports. It's a money pit and it only benefits a microscopic portion of the city's residents. This would be a great spot for any number of private or public developments.

Why do you say that municipalities have gotten out of the stadium ownership business? There are tonnes of examples in Ontario alone - definitely the majority of OHL arenas, every minor baseball stadium that I can think of. Those types of facilities are almost never viable for a private entity.

I don't agree that anything would be better on that site than a stadium. The current stadium is used by well north of 100,000 people a year, including lots of minor baseball players. That's hardly a "microscopic" number of people.

And I still haven't heard a single concrete proposal that is more in the public interest than the stadium. A private condo development there has minimal public benefit, particularly given that there are lots of sites in the east end that are just as good, if not better. And I'm still not sure what public developments are better - feel free to name one.

[waterloowarrior]

Looks like the City wants to negotiate with OSEG
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/oseg-ottawa-baseball-stadium-lease-1.5371065

[J.OT13]

Looks like the City wants to negotiate with OSEG
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/oseg-ottawa-baseball-stadium-lease-1.5371065

So Miles came to an agreement with the group of three young entrepreneurs to sell the existing baseball team, so the City and OSEG deiced to go behind everyone's back and look for a brand new expansion team? That's shady as hell. Unsurprising. But shady as hell.

From the onset, the City's deal with OSEG for Lansdowne seemed a little off. Whether or not you supported that development, you should be able to agree with this on some level. Then you had the casino bid, which was supposed to be open to any one interested until the City decided it had to go to RCR. Those first two happened to screw over Melnyk. Something similar happened with LeBreton, where the Mayor said the City isn't in the business of building sports stadiums (which it is). Melnyk gets the most of the blame for the collapse of LeBreton, but the Mayor had a part. Should OSEG by the Sens somehow, expect Watson change his views on that pretty quickly.

A few weeks ago, the City was ready to sign over Lansdowne's full operations to OSEG with no public consultation. The Mayor saved face with the last minute motion after significant community backlash, using a suburban Councillor as mediator.

[rocketphish]

With OSEG involved, is the Ottawa baseball stadium ripe for a mini-Lansdowne transformation?
Company behind RedBlacks and 67's would have foot in the door if the city wants to swing for the fences on a ballpark redevelopment

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: December 2, 2019

https://postmediaottawacitizen2.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/ottchampionsmay31.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=700

The site of an Ottawa sports stadium is ripe for redevelopment as a group of local businessmen is poised to join a partnership to put a pro team back on the field.

It sounds like 2009 and the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park all over again.

But in 2019, it’s in the context of baseball and the future of the municipal ballpark on Coventry Road.

There’s a common element forming between the two sites: the involvement of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group.

On Tuesday, city council’s finance and economic development committee will be asked to endorse a staff-recommended plan to negotiate a new baseball stadium lease with the owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball club and OSEG. There would be a new baseball team created in Ottawa with the intention of playing in an independent league starting in 2021.

So far, there’s no indication that the prospective leaseholder for the stadium has any intention of pursuing a redevelopment of the taxpayer-owned property.

Sam Katz, the owner of the Winnipeg baseball franchise, said his sole focus is on finalizing a lease with the City of Ottawa and fielding a successful baseball team that will draw families to the 10,000-seat stadium.

As for the prospects of making a bigger play for the Ottawa stadium land, “that’s not something we have any focus on at this particular time whatsoever,” Katz said Monday.

However, if Katz did have a long-term goal of using more of the stadium property for something other than a surface parking lot, he’s probably wise to team up with OSEG, which, with the City of Ottawa, literally redeveloped a surface parking lot.

Is the Ottawa stadium a prime candidate for a mini-Lansdowne Live?

There are obvious parallels between the baseball stadium and Lansdowne Park.

Both have been sites anchored by municipal sports infrastructure designed for professional athletes. The lands next to the stadiums have cried out for overhauls. The sites have been blanketed in concrete. They have been underused civic attractions.

Like with Lansdowne more than a decade ago, the city has been spitballing ways to make better use of the Ottawa stadium property. Rather than going all-in and completely reimagining what could be done with the land, the city has been stitching together leases for the ballpark, hoping that pro or semi-pro baseball catches fire, securing a long-term baseball tenant.

Everyone at city hall knows, however, that the stadium site, with or without the stadium, is an obvious candidate for redevelopment since a footbridge connects the property with the Tremblay LRT station on the other side of the Queensway. In fact, the city already has eyes on the land for affordable housing.

It’s just a question of when the city wants to swing for the fences on a major redevelopment.

Now, it seems, is not the time.

So, the city will sign up another baseball leaseholder with hopes that the stadium — whose full potential as an LRT-connected sports facility hasn’t been tested yet — will return the site to the glory days of the Ottawa Lynx.

While there are a couple of independent leagues that would be viable for a new Ottawa franchise, Katz said the most obvious would be the newly merged Frontier League.

As for the prospects of one day pursuing a Major League Baseball-affiliated minor-league team for Ottawa, Katz said the possibility is always there, but for now the game plan involves independent ball.

There has been hope at city hall that Ottawa could get an MLB-affiliated team again, especially if Montreal brings back major-league baseball.

In fact, it might be one of the things holding the city back from taking on a stadium redevelopment project. Nailing down a high-quality professional baseball tenant could lead to a larger discussion about site redevelopment — just like it did for Lansdowne when the OSEG partners secured a CFL franchise.

When the time comes to think seriously about building at the stadium property, the city will need to consider how it will invite the development industry into the conversation.

On that, OSEG, whose partners are real-estate moguls with strong connections to city hall, would have a leg up. Additionally, if a lease is finalized, OSEG would have the advantage of gaining first-hand knowledge about the stadium’s condition and operating potential.

The city is happy with its business partnership with OSEG at Lansdowne Park, even if the latest financial forecasts are a bit gloomy, with no money projected to be delivered to the city through the 30-year revenue-sharing scheme.

OSEG characterizes itself as playing a supporting role in the Katz/OSEG baseball partnership. OSEG might do some cross-promotions with other sports teams and handle the game ticketing, but the company’s plan, for now, isn’t to have a major public presence when it comes to the baseball stadium.

Perhaps OSEG doesn’t have any big aspirations beyond Lansdowne Park.

But if the plan to negotiate a new stadium lease clears council on Dec. 11, OSEG will have its foot in the door at another Ottawa sports property begging for radical change.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/analysis-with-oseg-involved-is-ottawa-stadium-ripe-for-a-mini-lansdowne-transformation

[eltodesukane]

"since a footbridge connects the property with the Tremblay LRT station on the other side of the Queensway."
I wish the footbridge would actually reach the Tremblay LRT station or the VIA Train Station, instead of falling quite short.

[Horus]

"since a footbridge connects the property with the Tremblay LRT station on the other side of the Queensway."
I wish the footbridge would actually reach the Tremblay LRT station or the VIA Train Station, instead of falling quite short.

It's just over 100m away. How much closer does it have to be? :shrug:

[DogsWithJobs]

"since a footbridge connects the property with the Tremblay LRT station on the other side of the Queensway."
I wish the footbridge would actually reach the Tremblay LRT station or the VIA Train Station, instead of falling quite short.

It is actually better now that they place the LRT station in a different spot than the old transitway station. You no longer have to walk all the way around that ring road.

[J.OT13]

I believe the O-Train Station was well placed considering what they had to work with. It's roughly halfway between VIA Rail and the Max Keeping Bridge. It wouldn't have been worth building a huge, elaborate station with indoor connections to both considering the low volume of passengers using it. If we had that extra money, I can think of a thousand better ways to spend it.

Although I'm extremely frustrated with the way certain politicians, and by extension the City, refuses to work with anyone that is not a campaign donor, I can't oppose the idea of a Lansdowne treatment for this site.

[kwoldtimer]

I believe the O-Train Station was well placed considering what they had to work with. It's roughly halfway between VIA Rail and the Max Keeping Bridge. It wouldn't have been worth building a huge, elaborate station with indoor connections to both considering the low volume of passengers using it. If we had that extra money, I can think of a thousand better ways to spend it.

Although I'm extremely frustrated with the way certain politicians, and by extension the City, refuses to work with anyone that is not a campaign donor, I can't oppose the idea of a Lansdowne treatment for this site.

You mean the Mayor? :shrug:

[rocketphish]

Committee endorses city-preferred tenants for next Ottawa Stadium lease

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: December 3, 2019

A partnership between the owner of a Winnipeg baseball club and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group should be granted a lease for the Ottawa Stadium, a city committee decided Tuesday.

No councillor on the finance and economic development committee asked a question about the proposed deal, which passed unanimously.

Council will need to sign off on Dec. 11. A vote in favour would direct city staff to negotiate the lease.

The memorandum of understanding between Sam Katz, who owns the Winnipeg Goldeyes, and the city calls for a base rent of $125,000, with inflationary increases starting in the third year. The city is committing to cover all operating, utility and maintenance expenses associated with baseball. The tenant would be responsible for costs of maintaining and operating the administrative offices, scoreboard, parking lot and taking care of event cleanup.

The lease would last 10 years with the possibility of two five-year extensions.

Katz is operating under the name Field of Dreams Enterprises. OSEG has joined Katz as a local investment partner.

Professional baseball probably wouldn’t return to the stadium until 2021. The Katz partnership is eyeing a new team for the independent Frontier League.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/committee-endorses-city-preferred-tenants-for-next-ottawa-stadium-lease

[J.OT13]

This says "if you don't contribute to the Mayor's re-election campaign, don't bother doing business in Ottawa".

[harls]

Professional baseball probably wouldn’t return to the stadium until 2021. The Katz partnership is eyeing a new team for the independent Frontier League.

Wonder how that's going..

[phil235]

Wonder how that's going..

Could be a blessing in disguise. They miss this year where fans are going to be very wary of attending live events, take the time to get things properly organized, and start up in 2021. I actually think this is an ideal situation, provided they have the financing to get through.

[J.OT13]

Game on! City inks 10-year deal with OSEG, Winnipeg group to bring pro baseball back to capital

OBJ, Sep 22, 2020 5:09pm EDT

The City of Ottawa says it has struck a deal with a Winnipeg-based group and the owners of the Ottawa Redblacks and 67’s to bring professional baseball back to the capital.

In a memo to the mayor and councillors on Tuesday, economic development boss Steve Willis said the city has finalized negotiations with the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball club and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group on a 10-year lease at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park beginning in 2021.

Under the agreement, the partnership will pay the city $125,000 a year in base rent for the 10,000-seat stadium. The new tenants will also be required to pay the city more than $473,000 in outstanding debts accrued by the previous team that occupied the park, the Ottawa Champions.

Under a lease that was signed in late 2013 and was expected to last for 10 seasons, the Champions had been paying the city a total of $358,000 a year to rent RCGT Park. The city was also slated to receive 10 per cent of all gross concession revenues that exceeded $1.2 million per season, $1 for each car that parked in the stadium lot and 50 per cent of all net naming rights that surpassed $200,000.

The city tore up that agreement and replaced it with a new one aimed at saving the Champions hundreds of thousands of dollars a season after the club fell behind on its rent.

Tax exemption

The memo said the new group will operate a team in the short-season Frontier League “or a league of similar calibre.” In an interview with OBJ late last year, Goldeyes vice-president and chief operating officer Regan Katz would not reveal which league the team would likely play in.

According to the memo, the city will share the use of the park with the new tenants. The new baseball ownership group will be responsible for cleaning the facility, while the city will take care of all capital maintenance and repairs.

The city said the new tenants will be exempt from paying municipal taxes on the property provided that “business activities taking place at the stadium are related to baseball and other related events.”

In addition to bringing baseball back to the capital, the new tenants also plan to host “a number of non-baseball special events,” the memo said, noting such events “provide the opportunity for increased use of the facility and revenues for both the tenant and the city.”

Rival bidders

The Goldeye-OSEG partnership beat out a rival group of local investors ​– Rob Abboud, portfolio manager with Wealth Strategies, Fred Saghbini, a project management consultant, and Rob Lavoie, the regional operations manager of Play it Again Sports franchises across the city ​– that had also sought to revive baseball at the stadium.

Willis says the city’s economic development department will continue to look at other ways to attract “a more diverse mix of sport uses such as lacrosse and cricket, increased college and university access and other community options” to the ballpark.

While the memo said the Goldeyes and OSEG plan to “focus on building a profitable business venture,” professional baseball has had a checkered past in Ottawa.

The city cancelled the Champions’ 10-year lease agreement to play at the RCGT Park midway through the 2019 season and switched to a game-by-game payment structure after the club fell behind on its rent.

The Champions joined the independent pro Can-Am League in 2015 and captured the league title the following season. But the team failed to catch on at the box office, drawing fewer than 1,800 fans per game last season.

Ottawa’s stadium was previously home to a franchise called the Fat Cats, which was part of the semi-pro Intercounty Baseball League from 2010-12 under a different ownership group. The city also had another Can-Am franchise known as the Rapidz, but that club lasted just one season before folding in early 2009.

RCGT Park opened in 1993 as the home of the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx, which played in the International League for 15 seasons. The Lynx were the top minor-league affiliate for a number of major-league franchises, including the Montreal Expos, the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies, before folding after the 2007 season.
https://obj.ca/article/local/sports-and-entertainment/game-city-inks-10-year-deal-oseg-winnipeg-group-bring-pro

[phil235]

They definitely picked the right year to take off.

[Harley613]

Ok so we have had:

The Ottawa Lynx which were a AAA team in the International League from 1993-2007

The Ottawa Rapidz in the Can-Am League for the 2008 season after which they were renamed the Ottawa Voyageurs, but they team folded before playing under that name.

The Ottawa Fat Cats in the Intercounty Baseball League from 2010-2012.

The Ottawa Champions in the Can-Am League from 2015-2019

Now a new team will play in a league 'equivalent to the Frontier league'.

This is so confusing. How many professional baseball leagues are there?!?

I know nothing about baseball FYI. I tried to piece this together with Wikipedia.

[YOWetal]

Ok so we have had:

The Ottawa Lynx which were a AAA team in the International League from 1993-2007

The Ottawa Rapidz in the Can-Am League for the 2008 season after which they were renamed the Ottawa Voyageurs, but they team folded before playing under that name.

The Ottawa Fat Cats in the Intercounty Baseball League from 2010-2012.

The Ottawa Champions in the Can-Am League from 2015-2019

Now a new team will play in a league 'equivalent to the Frontier league'.

This is so confusing. How many professional baseball leagues are there?!?

I know nothing about baseball FYI. I tried to piece this together with Wikipedia.

Can-Am is part of the Frontier League. I assume the plan is to (re)join this but are giving themselves an out. I think it would be considered well above the Intercountry league which is total amateurs.

Back in the day we had AAA which is only one level below the Majors (roughly equivalent to Majour Junior though technically already drafted so AHL equivalent but almost all baseball players spend a bit of time in the minors so you see the future stars as well). AA one below and A one below that. All these other leagues Ottawa has been in since the end of AAA are below A with guys who have little to no hope of ever moving further.

We would of course never build the stadium we have for such leagues but since it's already there I guess it is worth using for sometime even though the land is worth a lot more repurposed for another use.

[phil235]

All these other leagues Ottawa has been in since the end of AAA are below A with guys who have little to no hope of ever moving further.


I think there are exceptions to that rule. Last year Philippe Aumont went directly from the Champions to the Blue Jays' system and had a decent chance of making the team this year, but for COVID. But the majority of players are heading in the other direction - they have played in major league systems, sometimes with games in the majors, but are no longer the property of major league teams. I've seen the level of play described as somewhere between A and AA.

The advantage of the independent leagues is that they typically have shorter seasons that occur primarily in the summer, which is key in our climate.

[rocketphish]

New ownership group confident it can reverse Ottawa's pro baseball curse

By: David Sali, OBJ
Published: Sep 25, 2020 5:38pm EDT

The owner of Ottawa’s newest pro sports franchise doesn’t seem the least bit fazed by the city’s reputation as a baseball graveyard.

Citing the capital’s hefty per-capita income and solid economy, Sam Katz told OBJ this week he believes he can succeed where a litany of other owners have failed and make the sport viable in Ottawa over the long haul.

“The bottom line is Ottawa is full of opportunities,” said Katz, the owner of the minor-league Winnipeg Goldeyes and the former mayor of the Manitoba capital.

“We very much believe in Ottawa and the citizens and the corporate community. I think they’re going to see something very different than what they’ve seen in the past, and I hope they’re going to love it and they’re going to want to come back over and over again. It’s up to us to do the work, and that’s something we’re not afraid to do.”

Katz is partnering with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group in the new franchise, which will compete in the independent 15-team Frontier League beginning next season. The group recently signed a 10-year agreement to lease city-owned Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park on Coventry Road, which seats roughly 10,000 fans.

Katz says his track record proves he can make baseball work in a mid-sized Canadian city where the sport has had a checkered past. Many skeptics initially predicted the Goldeyes would never last when that team was launched in 1994, he noted.

“When we brought baseball back to Winnipeg, everybody said, ‘Forget about it. It’s not gonna happen,’” he said. “The bottom line is, people came.

“My background is basically sports and entertainment. I believe that the public … is always looking for quality and affordable family entertainment. It’s up to you to motivate people to come to your event and make sure that when they come to your event, they want to come back.”

The entrepreneur and former politician said OSEG, which owns the CFL’s Redblacks and the OHL’s 67’s, will offer valuable expertise on what works when it comes to building a successful sports business in Ottawa.

“They certainly have assets that they bring to the table, and we will use those assets as best we can,” he said.

The decade-long lease at RCTG Park will start on Jan. 1, 2021. The city will receive $125,000 annually over the first three years, with inflationary increases kicking in after that. As part of the agreement, the new tenants will also pay the city more than $473,000 in outstanding debts accrued by the previous team that occupied the park, the Ottawa Champions.

The new group will be exempt from paying municipal taxes, provided that “business activities taking place at the stadium are related to baseball and other related events,” the city said earlier this week.

Katz said he plans to host a range of other events at the park to help generate more revenue for the club. The new lease-holders will split non-baseball-related revenues with the city.

Exactly what types of additional activities will be held at the stadium next year will depend on the success of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, he added.

“When we started this, we had all sorts of things in mind,” Katz said, naming baseball camps, concerts, festivals, children's shows and weddings as a few examples.

“What we’re going to have to do is wait to see what we can and can’t do come springtime when we start playing baseball.”

The city said in a memo this week it will continue to look at other ways to attract “a more diverse mix of sport uses such as lacrosse and cricket, increased college and university access and other community options” to the ballpark.

Derrick Moodie, the director of the city’s corporate real estate office, said Friday the lease also contains provisions to allow portions of the stadium’s parking lot to be used for other purposes such as affordable housing.

Moodie said the city is confident Katz’s group can make the new franchise a winner on the field and at the box office.

“I think anytime we’ve got a facility that’s not being used to its potential and we’ve got an opportunity to use it for its potential, it helps the city in a number of ways,” he said.

https://www.obj.ca/article/local/sports-and-entertainment/new-ownership-group-confident-it-can-reverse-ottawas-pro

[Hybrid247]

I'd love to see Ottawa get a AAA team again but the only chance of that happening is if Montreal gets the Expos back.

[rocketphish]

Ottawa's new pro baseball team gets a name

Tim Baines • Postmedia
Publishing date: Dec 03, 2020 • Last Updated 18 hours ago • 2 minute read

https://smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital/ottawasun/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/titans-logo_81539214-W.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=750

Ottawa’s new professional baseball team will be called the Ottawa Titans Baseball Club.

The Titans held a Name the Team Contest, receiving more than 1,200 entries and 700 different name variations. Multiple entries suggested Titans; one of them will be awarded a grand prize through a draw, the others will also be rewarded with a prize.

So why Titans?

“There were a lot of animal names that came up,” said Titans co-owner Sam Katz. “One of the key things for us was the word would be the same in English and French, that was important to us. When you look at the definition of Titans, there’s (Greek) mythology (a race of gods). There’s strength and wisdom in Titans. Plus, we had people working on the logos and when they showed us this one, it stood out. The feedback we’ve gotten is very positive, people are saying they love it.”

The team will align with a traditional look in the Ottawa sports market, with a colour scheme of red, white and black – similar to those of the CFL’s Redblacks, OHL’s 67’s, and NHL’s Senators.

“It was important (to keep the colours),” said Katz. “It seems to be the tradition there and why would you (go away from) tradition?”

The Titans logo features a muscular red slugger, standing above the Parliament buildings, with a Canadian maple leaf tattooed on its bicep. The logo and name exemplify the history, strength, and pride in the Nation’s Capital, with a twist of fun. A secondary logo will see the initials O and T used on both the teams’ uniforms and caps.

https://smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital/ottawasun/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/titans-secondary_81539222-W.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=750

The Ottawa Titans are scheduled to hit the field in Spring of 2021 playing in the Frontier League, a partner league of Major League Baseball. It’s expected the team will announce player signings in the next week or two.

Recent team names for Ottawa baseball teams have included Champions, Fat Cats, Rapidz and most prominently – the Lynx. Pro baseball in Ottawa dates back to 1951 when the New York Giants located their Triple-A affiliate at Lansdowne Park.

Merchandise, ticket packages and sponsorship opportunities for the Titans will be available early in 2021.

https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/baseball/remember-the-titans-ottawas-new-pro-baseball-team-gets-a-name

[kevinbottawa]

As someone who does branding, that logo looks like something a kid put together. Only good thing is a lot of teenagers and early 20 somethings like to call Ottawa "OT" so they might sell some hats with the secondary logo on it. Otherwise, it's all unimpressive.

[J.OT13]

As someone who does branding, that logo looks like something a kid put together. Only good thing is a lot of teenagers and early 20 somethings like to call Ottawa "OT" so they might sell some hats with the secondary logo on it. Otherwise, it's all unimpressive.

I agree. The main logo is a bit childish. The secondary is better, but I wish their was more contrast (a slightly darker red, black around the parameters). I was a big fan of the Champions logo.

Good to see this moving forward. Hoping we can get back to our regularly scheduled sporting events in 2021.

[OTSkyline]

In the first logo, one of the erect towers looks more like the player's erect ______. I can't unsee it now :runaway:

[kwoldtimer]

In the first logo, one of the erect towers looks more like the player's erect ______. I can't unsee it now :runaway:

I was thinking it looked like his fly was open, but yeah.

[Brannwagon]

The new cap design is okay, but after seeing this I can't help but realize how subtly amazing the Champions' logo and colour scheme was.

Hopefully some higher quality renders will be released soon.

[J.OT13]

https://news.sportslogos.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Titans-Header.jpg
https://news.sportslogos.net/2020/12/03/frontier-league-introduces-ottawa-titans/baseball/

For comparison.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/69/Ottawa_Champions_logo.svg/102px-Ottawa_Champions_logo.svg.pnghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/ba/Ottawa_Champions_Cap_logo.svg/100px-Ottawa_Champions_Cap_logo.svg.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Champions

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/Ottawa_Fat_Cats_jersey_logo.jpeg/156px-Ottawa_Fat_Cats_jersey_logo.jpeghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/75/Ottawa_Fat_Cats_logo.jpeg/156px-Ottawa_Fat_Cats_logo.jpeg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Fat_Cats

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f2/Rapides_d%27Ottawa.PNG/120px-Rapides_d%27Ottawa.PNGhttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/90/Ottawa_Rapidz.PNG/120px-Ottawa_Rapidz.PNG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Voyageurs

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/02/OttawaLynx.png/100px-OttawaLynx.png
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Lynx

https://minorleaguegeek.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/sp-ottawa-lynx-button-busy-beaver-button-museum_0-e1523207482975.png?w=454&h=454
https://minorleaguegeek.com/ottawa-lynx/

[HighwayStar]

In the first logo, one of the erect towers looks more like the player's erect ______. I can't unsee it now :runaway:

Then don't look too closely a the "T" going into the "O" in the second logo :o

[J.OT13]

LET'S PLAY BALL: Ottawa Titans optimistic 2021 baseball season will go ahead
Tim Baines • Postmedia
Feb 17, 2021

The toughest opponent for the Ottawa Titans Baseball Club in 2020 isn’t any of the other Frontier League teams; it’s the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Titans co-owner Sam Katz is confident his expansion team will soon be playing home and away games, as planned.

The 2021 schedule, which was released Wednesday, has the Titans opening their season May 27 – at home to the Tri-City ValleyCats. Several things have to happen for that to go as planned, but Katz, who also owns the Winnipeg Goldeyes, says everything is pushing ahead in a positive way.

“All the owners are excited, we’re all ready to move forward,” said Katz. “God willing, that’s what we’ll be able to do. I can tell you this, our goal will be to play baseball; the Ottawa Titans will play baseball this season.

“I’m ecstatic the schedule has been released. By the same token, we all know there are still some challenges out there. Hopefully, those will be rectified and we’ll be able to cross the (U.S.) border and vice-versa; of course that’s beyond our control, but it’s certainly our goal and our intention. We have a complete COVID-19 protocol plan in place for the Ottawa Titans at our ballpark, it’s ready to roll. Now we’re just going to wait and see.”

The U.S-Canada border standstill is one roadblock, but it’s not as big an issue as the 14-day quarantine rules in place. Said Katz: “Fourteen days is not going to work. The good news is in the US of A, these players will probably all be getting vaccines long before you and me.”

It’s not easy trying to formulate a plan in the midst of a pandemic that has, at times, included lockdowns, stay-at-home orders and businesses shut down for lengthy periods of time. With COVID rates sliding and the hope that more and more Canadians get vaccinated in the coming days, weeks and months, Katz has kept hope.

“It’s almost like you’re an air traffic controller and there are a lot of planes trying to land; that’s the best analogy I can think of at the moment,” he said. “We’re trying to land a few, which will obviously make things much more black and white. Last year in Winnipeg, we put together a COVID-19 protocol plan and it was approved. The No. 1 criteria was the safety of our fans, our staff and our players. As you go along in time, the plans even get better as things come up.

“This is a very changing environment, but I do know this — as far as the venue goes, it can be totally safe where we can play baseball games with fans in the stands. It could be 20 per cent fans, it could be 25 per cent it could be 30 per cent … but that will be determined later on. I’m sure the other sports franchises in Ottawa — whether it’s football or soccer or whatever the case may be — are exploring what the opportunities are and what percentages will be allowed. Restaurants are opening up to 25 per cent capacity with social distancing, they’re indoors. We’re outdoors, we have many entrances and exits and we can do cohorts. To have 2,000 people, maybe more, should be a piece of cake.

“If you want to interpret it as optimism, so be it, I just think it’s very realistic. Going down the road, you never know what could happen. We’ve seen the ups and downs. We’re hoping things will get better and we’ll be able to do more people as things get safer. Whatever the government dictates is what the government dictates and that’s the protocols we’ll be following.”

Katz said he intentionally hasn’t had meaningful discussions with either the Manitoba or Ontario governments. He wanted to see the infection rates go down and the provinces get into a better place. Now it’s on his plate to make contact and start talking to government officials in both provinces.

The Goldeyes played their 2020 American Association season out of North Dakota, a scenario that won’t/can’t happen in 2021.

“We played there in the hope things would change and we’d have the opportunity to go back,” said Katz. “But as you know, the border never opened so we stayed there and played our games. We’re not in a position to do what we did last year again. Just think of any business, you’ve had no revenue for like 20 months, but all your expenses are still there. It just doesn’t work.

“Our goal will be for the Goldeyes to play in Winnipeg and for the Titans to play in Ottawa. And right now we’re optimistic that will be a reality. We don’t know about the border situation, but there are discussions going on. I’m sure there will be recommendations coming forward in the near future. The key thing is to keep the number of COVID cases down and the number of hospitalizations down and that will have a major impact on everything.”

“You will be hearing, the words ‘Play ball’ in Ottawa this summer.”

OTTAWA TITANS SCHEDULE

May 27 vs. Tri-City ValleyCats, 7PM

May 28 vs. Tri-City ValleyCats, 7PM

May 29 vs. Trois-Rivières Aigles, 4PM

May 29 vs. Trois-Rivières Aigles, 1PM

May 29 vs. Trois-Rivières Aigles, 7PM

June 1-3 at Québec Capitales

June 4 vs. Sussex County Miners, 7PM

June 5 vs. Sussex County Miners, 4PM

June 6 vs. Sussex County Miners, 1PM

June 8 vs. New Jersey Jackals, 7PM

June 9 vs. New Jersey Jackals, 7PM

June 10 vs. New Jersey Jackals, 7PM

June 11-13 at New York Boulders

June 15-17 at Trois-Rivières Aigles

June 18 vs. Québec Capitales, 7PM

June 19 vs. Québec Capitales, 4PM

June 20 vs. Québec Capitales, 1PM

June 22 vs. New York Boulders, 7PM

June 23 vs. New York Boulders, 7PM

June 24 vs. New York Boulders, 7PM

June 25-27 at Trois-Rivières Aigles

June 29 vs. Tri-City ValleyCats, 7PM

June 30 vs. Tri-City ValleyCats, 7PM

July 1 vs. Tri-City ValleyCats, 1PM

July 2 vs. Washington Wild Things, 7 PM

July 3 vs. Washington Wild Things, 6PM

July 4 vs. Washington Wild Things, 1PM

July 6 vs. New York Boulders, 7PM

July 7 vs. New York Boulders, 7PM

July 8 vs. New York Boulders, 7PM

July 9-11 at Québec Capitales

July 13 vs. Sussex County Miners, 7PM

July 14 vs. Sussex County Miners, 7PM

July 15 vs. Sussex County Miners, 7PM

July 16-18 at New York Boulders

July 20-22 at Washington WildThings

July 23 vs. Québec Capitales, 7PM

July 24 vs. Québec Capitales, 6PM

July 25 vs. Québec Capitales, 1PM

https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/baseball/lets-play-ball-ottawa-titans-optimistic-2021-baseball-season-will-go-ahead

[J.OT13]

Kate Porter
@KatePorterCBC

FEDCo approves having the Titans baseball team take over bookings for community groups looking to hold events at the stadium on Coventry, such as festivals and concerts.
Mayor Watson sees it as "win-win", because private sector has more incentive to hold events there. #OttCity

11:05 AM · Apr 5, 2022·Twitter Web App

https://twitter.com/KatePorterCBC/status/1511359272587829248

Hope the Titans can succeed where many failed. And I really hope to see a Lansdowne type development around the stadium. Would be awesome to have a continuous urban form from the Vanier Parkway to St. Laurent, both sides of Conventry.

[esquire]

Katz has his work cut out for him in Ottawa. It's going to be a much tougher nut to crack.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes took off because the timing was perfect... when they started, the only pro teams were the Jets and Bombers. There was a minor league basketball team that was going through its death rattles in 1994. So the Goldeyes were the only minor league team in town offering cheap tickets and a good time. Plus back in '94 there was still real excitement over baseball coming off the Jays' World Series wins. He carved out a bit of a niche in the sports market which he has held on to even as more teams were added in the market over the years.

Contrast that with Ottawa which has the NHL and CFL but also two junior hockey teams, the CPL, the CEBL and rugby. And I don't think minor league baseball is really the draw that it once was. So I think Katz will have a much rougher ride. I mean, he's a smart man, he must know this. But it will be interesting to see whether he can make it work.

[phil235]

Katz has his work cut out for him in Ottawa. It's going to be a much tougher nut to crack.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes took off because the timing was perfect... when they started, the only pro teams were the Jets and Bombers. There was a minor league basketball team that was going through its death rattles in 1994. So the Goldeyes were the only minor league team in town offering cheap tickets and a good time. Plus back in '94 there was still real excitement over baseball coming off the Jays' World Series wins. He carved out a bit of a niche in the sports market which he has held on to even as more teams were added in the market over the years.

Contrast that with Ottawa which has the NHL and CFL but also two junior hockey teams, the CPL, the CEBL and rugby. And I don't think minor league baseball is really the draw that it once was. So I think Katz will have a much rougher ride. I mean, he's a smart man, he must know this. But it will be interesting to see whether he can make it work.

Fingers crossed. There were some promising signs with the Champions pre-pandemic, and he does have a few things going for him, not the least of which is an LRT station connected to the park. I also think that outdoor events are going to have an added attraction for many, with a good dose of pent up demand this year. Hope they get some good weather.

[OTSkyline]

I think the keys to success will be, cheap tickets advertising a fun day for individuals, families or whatnot without breaking the bank.

And now, booking the stadium for other events. Minor league baseball alone won't keep the stadium afloat, but they could do much more with potentially carnivals, corporate events, concerts or music (I believe a smaller Escapade was once held on the site), etc...

[rrskylar]

Katz has his work cut out for him in Ottawa. It's going to be a much tougher nut to crack.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes took off because the timing was perfect... when they started, the only pro teams were the Jets and Bombers. There was a minor league basketball team that was going through its death rattles in 1994. So the Goldeyes were the only minor league team in town offering cheap tickets and a good time. Plus back in '94 there was still real excitement over baseball coming off the Jays' World Series wins. He carved out a bit of a niche in the sports market which he has held on to even as more teams were added in the market over the years.

Contrast that with Ottawa which has the NHL and CFL but also two junior hockey teams, the CPL, the CEBL and rugby. And I don't think minor league baseball is really the draw that it once was. So I think Katz will have a much rougher ride. I mean, he's a smart man, he must know this. But it will be interesting to see whether he can make it work.

Smart man? Did you mean con man?

[esquire]

Smart man? Did you mean con man?

Haha, well, the two are not mutually exclusive!

[J.OT13]

It’s time for residents to step up to the plate at Ottawa’s baseball stadium

City of Ottawa
June 26, 2022
Planning, development and construction

January 2021 marked the beginning of a 10-year lease agreement between the City and Sam Katz of the Winnipeg Goldeyes and the Ottawa Sport and Entertainment Group. The short-term future looks bright for Ottawa’s baseball stadium as the Ottawa Titans are having a stellar inaugural season in the Frontier League. But what about the long-term future of the stadium? Many questions remain and we need Ottawa residents to help find answers.

The City is working with key stakeholders to develop a vision for the stadium that would result in more community use, both in and around the building. Meetings with some stakeholders have already taken place with more to come.

There are two ways residents can have their say right now about the future of Ottawa’s baseball stadium:


Participate in an online Community and Information Session(link is external) happening on Tuesday, June 28 at 6 pm. Registration required. Share with us your short, medium, and long-term visions for the baseball stadium and its surrounding areas.
Complete an online survey(link is external) soon, which can be found on The Ottawa Stadium Engage Ottawa page(link is external).


The goal of the visioning process is to find ways to make the stadium and its surrounding areas, more livable, inviting, and dynamic for people and families, while enhancing mobility, city life, and financial sustainability.

It’s your baseball stadium and we want to hear from you.

https://ottawa.ca/en/news/its-time-residents-step-plate-ottawas-baseball-stadium

[phil235]

Was at a Titans game last weekend, which was quite fun. The stadium is actually in pretty good shape, given the lack of investment these past few years. It's now in a great spot to bike to with the pedestrian bridge and new cycle lanes that go right to the stadium.

Concourses and the store looked in good shape. Didn't get into a box, but the lower level of boxes was full. My main request would be for some more shade over the second level, and they could definitely do more with the barbecue area out the left field line. The seats are a little faded, but still fine. It seems if they do get around to replacing them, they wouldn't need to replace all 10,000, as they aren't likely to need more than 3 or 4000 or so for this level of baseball.

[J.OT13]

Was at a Titans game last weekend, which was quite fun. The stadium is actually in pretty good shape, given the lack of investment these past few years. It's now in a great spot to bike to with the pedestrian bridge and new cycle lanes that go right to the stadium.

Concourses and the store looked in good shape. Didn't get into a box, but the lower level of boxes was full. My main request would be for some more shade over the second level, and they could definitely do more with the barbecue area out the left field line. The seats are a little faded, but still fine. It seems if they do get around to replacing them, they wouldn't need to replace all 10,000, as they aren't likely to need more than 3 or 4000 or so for this level of baseball.

Do you think that the Titans have a decent attendance?

[phil235]

Do you think that the Titans have a decent attendance?

I've only been to the one game so far, and attendance was likely a bit under 2000. Lots of kids, which was nice, and the first row of boxes was entirely full, so some positive signs. There were enough people to create a good atmosphere.

That said, I assume that they would like to be in the 2500-3000 range, so I would assume that they've got some work to do to build a fan base. They have been doing promotions and theme nights, so they may be getting more people those days than on regular days like the one I went to.

[J.OT13]

I've only been to the one game so far, and attendance was likely a bit under 2000. Lots of kids, which was nice, and the first row of boxes was entirely full, so some positive signs. There were enough people to create a good atmosphere.

That said, I assume that they would like to be in the 2500-3000 range, so I would assume that they've got some work to do to build a fan base. They have been doing promotions and theme nights, so they may be getting more people those days than on regular days like the one I went to.

City should have a competition to redevelop the parking lot into a min-Lansdowne. Sell or lease the land. Just too bad they sold a huge chunk of parking 20 years ago for big box stores.

[phil235]

City should have a competition to redevelop the parking lot into a min-Lansdowne. Sell or lease the land. Just too bad they sold a huge chunk of parking 20 years ago for big box stores.

For sure. Maybe the big box area will be ready to be redeveloped too at some point, but there is plenty of opportunity with the existing parking. It's right on the LRT, so it should be pretty desirable.

[J.OT13]

Went to a game on Saturday. Attendance was just under 2,000. Here's the attendance stats for all 2022 games:

https://www.frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/teams/ottawatitans?view=attendance

Quebec Capitales seem to have great attendance when we look at games we played down there, but I guess they don't have as much competition in that Market.

That said, game was fun. We won, which isn't always common in the Ottawa sports market :haha: Decent atmosphere. Took the train to and from, which is more expensive than driving, unfortunately. Going back home, the downtown bound platform at Tremblay had about two dozen patrons leaving the stadium, with trains every 8 minutes.

I wish OC had an "O" pylon at the foot of the Max Keeping bridge on the stadium side to advertise the option as I doubt that many people know you can catch the train only a short walk away.

[J.OT13]

On a more sour note, my wife and I wanted to take a bike ride along the Rideau River the other day. We weren't going to bike through hostile stroads in the old east end, so we drove to the Baseball Stadium (cause taking transit would have been about $15).

We get there, parking might have eight to twelve cars parked. $7 to park. Cheaper than transit, but it got me thinking; we have this huge empty parking lot across a pedestrian bridge from an O-Train station. The parking lot is barely used outside baseball games and "freedom" convoys, the bridge is barely used... ever, and same story with the O-Train station. Meanwhile, suburbanites are given acres upon acres of free parking to access transit, when their bus service is better than that of the urban area. So why do they get free parking, and we don't? Why does the city insist on squandering the potential of a vast City owned parking, the $12 million Max Keeping Bridge and a station that likely cost about the same? Would it not make sense to offer this parking lot as a free park and ride to better utilize the infrastructure we built?

Note - I don't think any of the park and rides should be free. They should all come with a minimal charge, even if it's $2 a day or $20 a month, but if they are free in the burbs, why not the inner-Greenbelt?

[phil235]

On a more sour note, my wife and I wanted to take a bike ride along the Rideau River the other day. We weren't going to bike through hostile stroads in the old east end, so we drove to the Baseball Stadium (cause taking transit would have been about $15).

We get there, parking might have eight to twelve cars parked. $7 to park. Cheaper than transit, but it got me thinking; we have this huge empty parking lot across a pedestrian bridge from an O-Train station. The parking lot is barely used outside baseball games and "freedom" convoys, the bridge is barely used... ever, and same story with the O-Train station. Meanwhile, suburbanites are given acres upon acres of free parking to access transit, when their bus service is better than that of the urban area. So why do they get free parking, and we don't? Why does the city insist on squandering the potential of a vast City owned parking, the $12 million Max Keeping Bridge and a station that likely cost about the same? Would it not make sense to offer this parking lot as a free park and ride to better utilize the infrastructure we built?

Note - I don't think any of the park and rides should be free. They should all come with a minimal charge, even if it's $2 a day or $20 a month, but if they are free in the burbs, why not the inner-Greenbelt?

Good question. I have no idea how many people would use a park and ride in that location rather than driving, but even if it puts a few more people on transit, why not? As you said, outside of game days it is largely empty, which makes it an under-used municipal asset.

I kind of suspect that the team gets the revenue from the parking, as the parking is part of their lease, but I could be wrong.

Wrong thread, but I was just in Montreal and essentially all of the downtown metro stations are free on weekends. The metro was really busy everywhere we went, much busier than the New York subway where we were the week before. Clearly the incentive to transit is working like a charm. Not sure why Ottawa is so timid about using incentives like that, even if it was free parking.

[J.OT13]

Anyone have an OBJ subscription? Anything short of a Lansdownification is doomed to fail.

Titans pitching new uses for Ottawa Stadium as renovations at city-owned ballpark continue

David Sali
September 21, 2023

The owners of the Ottawa Titans are delivering their own version of a changeup at the professional baseball team’s ballpark – in the form of a major makeover of Ottawa Stadium. The independent Frontier League franchise announced last week it was preparing to launch the next phase of its 10-year plan to revitalize the east-end […]

https://obj.ca/ottawa-titans-pitching-new-uses-for-stadium/

[phil235]

Anyone have an OBJ subscription? Anything short of a Lansdownification is doomed to fail.


https://obj.ca/ottawa-titans-pitching-new-uses-for-stadium/

I don’t have a subscription, but I’m glad to see this happening. The Titans are a relaxed, budget friendly sports option. I think they can make the game day more appealing with the types of changes mentioned. They’ve got lots of extra seats to work with, so why not turn some into a beer garden, sun deck, kids area etc. Trying to compete with Lansdowne wouldn’t make much sense, and they would lose their market niche.

[rocketphish]

Anyone have an OBJ subscription? Anything short of a Lansdownification is doomed to fail.


https://obj.ca/ottawa-titans-pitching-new-uses-for-stadium/

Titans pitching new uses for Ottawa Stadium as renovations at city-owned ballpark continue

David Sali, OBJ
September 21, 2023 4:28 PM ET

The owners of the Ottawa Titans are delivering their own version of a changeup at the professional baseball team’s ballpark – in the form of a major makeover of Ottawa Stadium. The independent Frontier League franchise announced last week it was preparing to launch the next phase of its 10-year plan to revitalize the east-end park, which opened in 1993 as the home of the Montreal Expos’ Triple-A affiliate, the Ottawa Lynx. The Lynx left town in 2007 after 15 seasons at the stadium on Coventry Road. While a number of teams in various leagues have called the park home since then, upgrades to the fan experience have been few and far between – as the owners of the Titans found out when they signed a 10-year deal to lease the facility from the city in 2020. “Despite doing a tour, you never really know what condition things are in,” says Regan Katz, the club’s vice-president and chief operating officer. “It’s a building that just celebrated its 30th anniversary. Unfortunately, it looked its age.” Katz said the Titans have already made a “substantial investment” to modernize the city-owned facility – for example, giving it a new paint job, repairing sections of its concrete infrastructure and doing various other touch-ups.

But the real work has just begun. The club is completely rebuilding the third-floor suites for the 2024 season, for example, tearing out a wall to replace two smaller rooms with a new, 40-person suite and giving a full refresh to nine other suites, which will each have a capacity of 16 people. Down the road, the club aims to revamp the stadium’s second floor, which originally had 23 private suites that have been closed in recent years after falling into a state of “disrepair,” as Katz put it. Initial plans call for fewer than half that number of suites on the renovated second level as the team looks to provide more spacious amenities.

And in an effort to attract casual fans who are as much into socializing as watching the action on the diamond, the Titans also plan to tear out some of the outfield seats along the first- and third-base lines and replace them with “patio decks” – which Katz describes as open areas for “standing and mingling” with others. Katz says the team will gauge fan interest in the spaces before determining their size, but he envisions areas with a capacity of between 50 and 150 people suitable for events such as corporate gatherings and family get-togethers. The changes will be rolled out over the next several years, with the second-floor suites likely to be next up on the docket.

Other upgrades include the Hop Yard, a “meet-and-greet area” along the third-base line that opened this past season where fans could sit at picnic tables and sample suds from local craft breweries Beau’s, Stray Dog and Vimy. The cost of the renovations is approaching the million-dollar mark, with much more to come, Katz says. “It’s certainly a lot more (money) than was anticipated when we started the process,” he adds. Still, the veteran baseball executive is optimistic that the changes will generate more buzz at the turnstiles in the coming seasons.

Home attendance at Titans games jumped from an average of about 1,200 in the team’s inaugural season in 2022 to just under 1,600 this year, as a total of more than 81,000 fans made their way to the ballpark over 51 home dates.

Katz says the club is aiming to draw an average of at least 2,000 fans next season, which would put it solidly in the middle of the pack in the 16-team Frontier League’s attendance rankings. “Overall, we’re quite pleased with the growth that we’ve seen,” he says. “I feel like we’ve climbed the hill a fair bit and made some great strides. It’s just a matter of spreading the word.” Even still, the park sits empty more than 300 days a year. Titans majority owner Sam Katz and his business partners at the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group are hoping to change that by attracting more non-baseball events such as concerts.

Regan Katz says the club has stepped up its effort to extol the park’s virtues to music promoters. The stadium hosted a concert earlier this year and will be the site of a hip-hop festival next month, but Katz says the Titans have received “many, many inquiries regarding the opportunities at the venue for future years” and expect the park to host more than a dozen non-baseball events in 2024. The stadium’s 10,300-seat capacity – by far the largest in the Frontier League – is both a blessing and a curse, Katz explains. “The park was built too large for the Lynx. It was too large for every team that followed and it still has too many seats for what we’re seeking to accomplish,” he says. “On the positive side, its size attracts a lot of outside baseball opportunities, which is part of our business model.” Katz believes the owners of previous teams that occupied the stadium didn’t really grasp its potential as a multi-use facility. “This venue has been off the map for events that were not baseball for pretty much its entire existence,” he says. “We now have those inquiries coming for various festivals and concerts and other shows that would fit our size of venue. It’s become a big part of our plan and our efforts to try and get (the stadium) back on the map and show off what it’s capable of.

“The sky’s the limit for opportunities. It’s just a matter of locking some in and then trying to find those annual events that can make sure that it stays an attraction point.” In a further drive to boost revenues, the Titans are seeking a new naming rights partner for the stadium to replace the previous rights-holder, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton. “We’ve had plenty of dialogue with plenty of potential (sponsors),” Katz says. “We have not put anything to paper yet.” Two years into the Titans’ existence, the ownership group remains confident it can succeed where past franchises have failed. “We absolutely believe in our model,” Katz says. “Based on our first two years here, there’s no question there’s space for (professional baseball) in Ottawa. It’s had ups and downs as any new start does, but I certainly feel like we’re on the right path.”

https://obj.ca/ottawa-titans-pitching-new-uses-for-stadium/

[OTSkyline]

Does the team own the land or just the stadium? They should look at building some rental towers on site. It's a decent location, central, easy access to Riverside/Vanier Parkway and the 417, across the bridge from VIA and Tremblay LRT station and walking distance to trainyards & St-Laurent (even though they're not necessarily pleasant walks).

Could help generate revenues and better utilize the site. Maybe giving residents yearly passes or X amount of free games per year could help drive up attendance, the crowd and food & bev sales.

[J.OT13]

Thanks for posting rocketphish! Sounds like they are investing a lot in the stadium and they are serious about making this work. Interesting that they are doing all of this without asking the City for funding (as far as I can tell), unlike OSEG at Lansdowne (who are also involved in baseball).

I don’t have a subscription, but I’m glad to see this happening. The Titans are a relaxed, budget friendly sports option. I think they can make the game day more appealing with the types of changes mentioned. They’ve got lots of extra seats to work with, so why not turn some into a beer garden, sun deck, kids area etc. Trying to compete with Lansdowne wouldn’t make much sense, and they would lose their market niche.

It wouldn't necessarily be about competing with Lansdowne. It's more about making the experience better for fans by having something to do before and after the game, and bringing more people closer, thus building a built-in fan base. I could see two point towers on podiums with a wide plaza in the middle where two or three restaurant patios would spill over. Add a small grocery store and a few other services. A mini-Lansdowne residential and entertainment district that's actually accessible by transit.

Does the team own the land or just the stadium? They should look at building some rental towers on site. It's a decent location, central, easy access to Riverside/Vanier Parkway and the 417, across the bridge from VIA and Tremblay LRT station and walking distance to trainyards & St-Laurent (even though they're not necessarily pleasant walks).

Could help generate revenues and better utilize the site. Maybe giving residents yearly passes or X amount of free games per year could help drive up attendance, the crowd and food & bev sales.

The City owns the stadium and adjacent parking lot. The City also once owned the land where Canadian Tire and Best Buy are today, but made the mistake of selling out a couple decades ago.

But yes, as per the above, I agree we should develop that parking lot into a small stadium district.