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Ottawa Senators LeBreton Arena | 11 Acres | In Planning
BREAKING | New milestone for the #BuildingLeBreton project.
We’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Capital Sports Development Inc (CDSI), a group led by @Senators for the development of a major event centre at LeBreton Flats. | #OttNews #Ottawa https://twitter.com/NCC_CCN/status/1...7Ctwgr%5Etweet "Proposal includes an NHL hockey arena and events venue surrounded by mixed-use development. CSDI will develop its concept and an implementation plan in the coming months. The NCC and CSDI will also work to sign a long-term lease agreement for the site by the fall of 2023." https://i.imgur.com/P9pJOpg.png https://i.imgur.com/mRQIqUO.png |
Wowwwwww! So Exciting. Beautiful rendering
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Here's a higher resolution copy of that one render for anyone who wants it (click the image to see the full res)
https://i.imgur.com/H6WawVxh.png |
Good news! Did the NCC give a timeline or any sense on when we might expect construction to start?
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Presentation
https://ncc-website-2.s3.amazonaws.c...ion_ju2022.pdf Capital Sports Development, Inc. (CSDI), along with partners: • Ottawa Senators/ Capital Sports Management, Inc. • Sterling Project Development • Populous • Tipping Point Sports • Live Nation Staff report on next Flats Phase - going out to market in June, goal is for construction starting 2024 https://ncc-website-2.s3.amazonaws.c...g-LeBreton.pdf |
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I love it, it looks incredible. This will easily be one of the top arenas in the league. With having a good group of consortium members - Live Nation, Sterling Project Development (real estate management firm from UBS Arena), Tipping Point Sports, and Populous - I think this proposal has a much better shot than any previous ones.
As far as timelines go, it seems the NCC wants to have a lease agreement ready by the end of the year, and signed by fall of 2023. |
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Maybe this proposal was drawn up a long time ago? I like it a lot though. |
Glad that it's finally been approved. While not in the heart of the CBD, it will no doubt add more entertainment value to the wider downtown area. Love the renderings.. although what's the body of water with the people kayaking and canoeing ?
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Though I think an arena is the best use for the site and I'm really happy the idea is being revived, I do wonder about the process. Who were the other groups? Was it all rigged for the Sens? Should the NCC work with the Sens again after the disastrous collapse of the last deal? Side note - haven't watched the NCC Board meeting yet and probably won't for a few days, so what happened to the second, smaller parcel in the park area? |
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...083&height=609
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...077&height=609 Love seeing an arena that's integrated in the urban fabric with attached towers instead of a stand alone. I just wonder where the receiving bays will be. Wish they could build over the tracks. |
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Ottawa Senators win bid for downtown arena on LeBreton Flats
Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen Jun 23, 2022 • 1 hour ago • 2 minute read https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.dig...trip=all&w=600 The Ottawa Senators will moved downtown to a new arena on LeBreton Flats in a deal the National Capital Commission called a “transformational, city-building moment” that will fundamentally change downtown Ottawa. The memorandum of understanding announced Thursday by the NCC will see the Senators and a bevy of deep-pocketed partners build a new rink on a 7.5 acre parcel of land on Albert Street between Preston Street and City Centre Avenue. The land, to be leased to the consortium, is just west of the site of Adisoke, Ottawa’s new central library now under construction. While the hockey arena was the showpiece of Thursday’s announcement, the NCC will also begin accepting offers next week on a new mixed residential development on Wellington Street opposite the Canadian War Museum. That project, to be known as the Flats District, will see up to 800 new housing units in blocks of six storeys with set back towers of between 12 and 20 storeys. The housing will be modelled after neighbourhoods in the Netherlands with curb-less, narrow streets and a central aqueduct that currently flows underground through the area. The housing development will include affordable housing units and an agreement to ensure economic benefit for suppliers and workers from the Algonquin Nation, on whose unceded land the development stands. The NCC will accept requests for offers to lease the land from developers from June 29 until Oct. 5. It hopes to begin signing deals in early 2024 with construction beginning near the end of 2024. Mayor Jim Watson, who sits on the NCC board of directors and likened the LeBreton Flats saga to the movie Groundhog Day, praised the agreement. “Nothing is easy with LeBreton Flats,” Watson said. “But at the end of the day, the NCC has brought forward a plan that is realistic.” A previous deal to bring the Senators downtown ended acrimoniously in 2018 in lawsuits and counter-lawsuits between the team’s former owner, Eugene Melnyk, and his partner in the deal, businessman John Ruddy. “It’s an opportunity for us to thank the Senators for not giving up on this proposal,” Watson said Thursday. “The easy thing to do when things went south last time would be to pick up your notepad and your chequebook and leave. And you didn’t do that.” Michael Foderick, an NCC board member from Toronto, said Thursday’s deal could transform downtown Ottawa in the way the Toronto Maple Leaf’s Air Canada Centre transformed downtown Toronto. “This is fundamentally going to change, for the better, the nature of downtown Ottawa,” Foderick said. “We’re going see new residential units in a part of the city that needs that night life, that 24 hour presence there. I’ve seen how it’s transformed downtown Toronto. Those residential units bring light around the clock, not just during office hours. “Just when the office workers are heading out, that’s when the hockey fans are coming in. They come in with their jerseys and their kids. The come in for a bite to eat and they’re having fun downtown. It brings this whole element of life to the downtown.” https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...lebreton-flats |
Not sure how accurate this is. Sounds like a joke.
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Delete.
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It looks so good! We did it!
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Ottawa Senators win the bid for LeBreton Flats
By: OBJ staff Jun 23, 2022 11:23am EDT https://www.obj.ca/sites/default/fil...sign-121-2.jpg The National Capital Commission (NCC) and Capital Sports Development Inc. (CSDI), a group led by the Ottawa Senators NHL hockey team, have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) toward the development of a major event centre at LeBreton Flats. CSDI is proposing to build an NHL hockey arena and events venue surrounded by mixed-use development, located on Albert Street between Preston Street and City Centre Avenue. This site was identified for a potential major facility in the 2021 LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan, reflecting the feedback of the more than 5,000 people who participated in public consultations during the creation of the Master Concept Plan. CSDI’s concept for an arena facility is still in the very early stages and will be developed further over the coming months. While CSDI works to further elaborate on its concept and create an implementation plan, on the basis of the MOU, the NCC and CSDI will work toward the goal of signing a long-term lease agreement by the fall of 2023. That lease agreement will include commercial terms, as well as clear targets related to sustainability, affordable housing and benefits for the Algonquin Nation. In parallel, CSDI will also work with the City of Ottawa to secure the required municipal approvals. “This is another important step in the implementation of our Building LeBreton plan: the start of an incredibly exciting and transformative city-building project that will become a landmark and major destination in the National Capital Region. We look forward to working with the team at CSDI to bring this major event centre to life,” said Tobi Nussbaum, NCC CEO. “Today’s announcement marks a significant move toward our long-term vision, a downtown arena at LeBreton Flats. We believe that this development will have a major impact on both the National Capital Region and our franchise, one that will help to shape the future of the city. We thank the NCC for their collaboration, and look forward to working alongside them as we take the next steps on this exciting journey,” said Anthony LeBlanc of Capital Sports Development Inc. https://www.obj.ca/index.php/article...lebreton-flats |
LeBreton Flats: Who's who in the Sens new arena deal
Ottawa's NHL team also announced that it was partnering with Live Nation and Sterling Equities to build an arena on the site. Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen Jun 23, 2022 • 1 hour ago • 4 minute read On Thursday, the Ottawa Senators were unveiled as the preferred bidder for the arena parcel at LeBreton Flats. The team also announced that it was partnering with Live Nation, Sterling Project Development, Tipping Point Sports and Populous to build an arena on the site. (The arena consortium has no effect on the Senators ownership, which remains in the hands of Anna and Olivia Melnyk, daughters of former owner Eugene Melnyk, who died in March.) Here’s the rundown on the U.S. based companies that will play an instrumental role in building the new arena for the Ottawa Senators. Jeff Wilpon and Sterling Project Development Jeff Wilpon, 60, is the executive vice-president of the family run, New York-based company, Sterling Project Development. In 1980, Wilpon’s father, rags-to-riches real estate magnate Fred Wilpon, bought a one per cent share in the New York Mets baseball club. From 2002 to 2020, the Wilpons were majority owners of the National League team, until they sold their stake to hedge fund manager Steve Cohen for $2.4 billion. During the Wilpons’ tenure, Jeff oversaw construction of the Mets’ new ball park, Citi Field, in Flushing, N.Y., coming in on time and under budget. But the Wilpons’ tenure as majority owners was a rocky one. This is how the New York Times story described the Wilpon years in a 2019 story. “At their best, the Wilpons, self-made multimillionaires from the city’s outer boroughs, shined as generous philanthropists who occasionally broke the bank for a star player. At their worst, they were a squabbling, disorganized clan with a baseball team that fans saw as inept and thrifty, and functioning as a vanity play for the family scion, Fred Wilpon, and his eldest son, Jeff, who has overseen a team with mostly disappointing results since 2002.” The same story described Jeff as “aggressive and short-tempered.” Jeff, who like his father had a short career as a professional baseball player himself, was accused of being a micromanager who meddled too much with the club operations. Jeff Wilpon is also owner of the New York Excelsior, a team of professional videogamers. The Wilpon family were notable investors with convicted fraudster Bernie Madoff, reportedly losing $700 million in Madoff’s ponzi scheme. Sterling was also a partner in the new arena for the NY Islanders arena, UBS Arena. Tipping Point Sports Tipping Point Sports bills itself as a “boutique sports finance and advisory firm.” Based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Tipping Point and its CEO Mitchell Zeits, list the NHL’s Florida Panthers as clients he’s advised about building new arenas along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association. The Tipping Point website says Ziets “fills a critical role by supplying financial advice for both teams and municipalities seeking to build arenas and stadiums.” That advice includes such things a due diligence, public-private partnership strategy and negotiations of development agreements. His company’s clients include the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Florida Panthers on arena matters. Elsewhere, Ziets is serving as a financial strategist to Chris Hanson tied to the development of a new downtown arena in Seattle. In Phoenix, he’s providing investment banking services for the Coyotes as they explore building a new arena. In Oakland and San Diego, he’s providing financial advice in efforts to build new NFL stadiums in those two markets. In the Bay Area, his client is the city of Oakland. In San Diego, he’s assisting JMI Realty as the Chargers propose a downtown stadium tied to a convention centre expansion. Populous Populous is a global architectural design firm that has built arenas such as Climate Pledge Arena for the Seattle Kraken, T-Mobile Arena for the Las Vegas Golden Knights, the Videotron Centre in Quebec City and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. Formed in 2009, Populous has developments in 34 countries around the Globe. Live Nation Live Nation Entertainment was formed in 2010 in a merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation and is the world’s largest events promoter. Its president is Canadian Michael Rapino, who was born in Thunder Bay and named president and CEO of Live Nation in 2005 and continued in that role with Live Nation Entertainment after the merger. A graduate of Lakehead University, Rapino began his career promoting small Canadian performers and later worked in sales and marketing for Labbatt Breweries. Live Nation Entertainment opened an Ottawa office in 2017 and has brought blockbuster acts to the city like Justin Bieber in March and Maroon 5 in August. It also sponsors music festivals such as Escapade, which runs this weekend at Lansdowne Park. After nearly two gruelling years for the concert industry because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Live Nation rebounded in late 2021, organizing 17,000 concerts for 35 million fans, mostly in the U.S. and the U.K. The industry has rebounded even more this year, with more than 70 million tickets sold, a 36 per cent increase from 2019 that the company attributes to pent up demand for live shows. Live Nation bills itself as the “world’s leading live entertainment company,” hosting 40,000 shows annually, more than 100 festivals and selling half a billion tickets worldwide. The company is headquartered in Beverly Hills, Calif., and employs 44,000. Live Nation Canada is based in Toronto. with files from Bruce Garrioch https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...new-arena-deal |
I'm excited to see what I can assume will be limited underground parking, no surface lots, rapid transit nearby, integrated to the urban fabric and most likely a hotel and residential built in (a-la Tours des Canadiens & Maple Leaf Square).
Driving to Kanata is a real pain in the @$$ and expensive. Definitely a deterrent to going to more games. When this is built, I'll be able to hop on the LRT for a quick 10-15min ride, go have dinner/drinks nearby, stroll the Aquaduct, see a game, and transit back home. |
So this is basically going to be across the street from those fugly soviet-era townhouses?
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I really wish they'd at least partially bury the Confederation line so that the whole site could have more of a connected feel but this is still tentatively great news.
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What makes me really happy is the four towers directly attached to the arena. Easy to attach a hotel, HQ for the Senators and mixed use retail on ground level/residential.
What really irks me is the barren land right there when you view the planes that shows the "Parks District". It is such a waste. Feel like I am a broken record with this district, sorry lol. |
I'm really loving everything I'm seeing so far. The next 10 years will be such an exciting time for Ottawa.
The only little gripe I have is that I wish one of the LRT stations could have been incorporated directly into the new arena, rather than have everyone exit the building in the dead of winter and walk over to the nearest one. |
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Ottawa's elusive dream of a downtown arena is suddenly within reach
While you'll forgive us for being a bit cautious with our optimism, the Senators seem to be riding a wave of good news Ken Warren, Ottawa Citizen Jun 23, 2022 • 3 hours ago • 5 minute read With the onset of summer, Ottawa’s chief winter sports team is riding a wave of optimism. Maybe, just maybe, long-suffering Senators fans will now finally be able to scratch what has already been a seven-year itch in the wait for a new arena at LeBreton Flats. While we’re going down that road towards a potentially brighter future, the talk about the possible return of former star captain Daniel Alfredsson is also picking up steam. The National Capital Commission’s announcement Thursday that a downtown development entertainment complex is once again back on the rails — a welcome departure from the finger-pointing and second-guessing currently going on in the LRT inquiry — gives rise to hope the Senators could be skating on the banks of the Ottawa River by 2026. There are countless moving pieces involved in the project, which would see the team lease the rink from the NCC, with a slew of experienced arena and entertainment managers helping run the show. It should drive east-west traffic and from the Quebec side of the river. That in turn, could help recoup some of the losses in corporate and season ticket holders. It could all add up to a pretty picture of civic pride as an architectural jewel to go along with the new library on the site. Strong partnerships, never a strong point for late former owner Eugene Melnyk, will be vital to making it all work. Sterling Project Development, Populous, Tipping Point Sports and Live Nation Entertainment, who have been involved in the construction and management of new arenas for the New York Islanders, Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights, are all on board. For all that, excuse a tone of once bitten, twice shy caution here. We’ve been through a soap opera of downtown arena drama going back to 2015, when Melnyk took his first steps towards securing a new home. There was the initial excitement at the partnership with John Ruddy, followed by the failure of that union that inspired Melnyk’s $700-million lawsuit and Ruddy’s $1-billion countersuit. For years, the city endured Melnyk’s verbal sparring matches with Mayor Jim Watson and then there were Melnyk’s suggestions last year that he might forego LeBreton altogether in favour of a new rink in either Kanata or Gatineau. Taken all together, it has been a roller-coaster of confusion and it’s all a bit fresh. Following Melnyk’s death in March, the team is currently in the hands of Melnyk’s daughters, Anna and Olivia. There remains uncertainty about whether they’ll choose to keep the franchise or sell some or all of it. The current environment, and the potential for shovels to actually be in the ground at some point in 2023, suggests that an influx of capital would be necessary to get things rolling. After the collapse of the previous Melnyk-Ruddy mess, the NCC deserves credit for its revised plan for the entire development, which checks off residential, commercial and parkland requirements. The arena represents only 10 per cent of the grand project. Yet anyone who has paid any attention to the NCC’s history on this front should recognize that timelines are always subject to change — Watson joked about the “Groundhog Day” nature of past non-developments — and factor in all the partners and layers of government involved. At some point, you can bet on a controversy arising over whether taxpayers will be on the hook for any of it. Meanwhile, the arena discussion comes in the midst of what is shaping up to be a pivotal 2022-23 season on the ice for the team. The organization’s rebuilding effort has landed top talent including Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stuetzle, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson and promising incoming rookie Jake Sanderson, but impatience is growing among the fan base. The Senators haven’t made the playoffs since 2017, the longest post-season drought in franchise history, including the dreadful start-up years in the early to mid 1990’s. Accordingly, the heat is rising on both general manager Pierre Dorion and coach D.J. Smith, who has been behind the bench for the past three seasons. Dorion has openly talked about the possibility of trading the club’s seventh overall selection at the National Hockey League entry draft on July 7 in order to secure a veteran forward or defenceman who could take on a front line role immediately. What further adds to the intrigue is the current bare-bones nature of the Senators front office and the looming presence of Alfredsson in the community. Assistant general manager Peter MacTavish left the club last week, returning to his former life as a player agent. In May, Pierre McGuire was fired as senior vice president of player development. He was originally hired by Eugene Melnyk last summer. All of which have given rise to suggestions that Alfredsson could possibly return to the organization at some point. Alfredsson spent the first 17 of his 18 NHL seasons with the Senators, before departing to the Detroit Red Wings in a contract dispute with Melnyk. Alfredsson returned to officially retire in a Senators uniform and spent one season as senior advisor of hockey operations before resigning after another battle with Melnyk. He has stayed out of the spotlight in retirement while focussing on coaching his children, but he opened up recently about the possibility of once again wearing Senators colours. “I would be interested in joining under the right circumstances,” he said at the David Feherty Golf Classic earlier this month. “They have a young core, with a lot of potential. I hope we’ll see a lot of great hockey in the years to come.” All of that has left Senators trying to read the tea leaves about what that could possibly mean, whether the Melnyks stay in the ownership chairs or not. Interestingly, Alfredsson could possibly be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday. That would serve as a welcome link between the Senators best years and the present. If the LeBreton deal goes ahead as planned, many of the questions about the club’s long-term future in Ottawa will be settled as well. [email protected] Twitter.com/Citizenkwarren https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...y-within-reach |
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Union Station is about 200 meters from the ACC. Though only one subway station is near, they also have streetcars. GO is probably not running at those times. Vancouver is about 140 meters from Stadium-Chinatown with most people probably heading in the same direction, Calgary 400 or so meters from Victoria Pak/Stampede and Edmonton is directly on MacEwan, which has a far lower frequency/capacity than any other system, so I imagine many take the 700 meter trek to Churchill. The Sens arena will be about 220 meters from both Pimisi and Bayview (lines 1 and 2), so three stations really. I do hope they include a covered walkway between the arena and stations, even if only partially (one wall and a roof) along the tracks. |
I think it's worth posting this here.
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Ottawa Senators founder says it's too soon to celebrate arena deal
Lack of design and financial details are concerning, sports economist adds Dan Taekema · CBC News Posted: Jun 24, 2022 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 8 hours ago The dream for a downtown Ottawa arena has been resurrected with a new deal announced Thursday. While some city officials are vowing this time will be different, the man who founded the Ottawa Senators cautions it's too soon to celebrate. Bruce Firestone said he wanted to build a home for the NHL team at LeBreton Flats 30 years ago, but was told by the then-head of the National Capital Commission (NCC) that it would never happen. Now, just three-and-a-half years after a previous Sens-backed plan for the site fell apart amid duelling lawsuits, Firestone said he hopes those involved have learned from experience. "When you deal with … the National Capital Commission, whose nickname by the way is the 'No Commitment Club,' you have to be cautious about clapping and partying and congratulating yourself on doing a deal," he said. The goal of seeing an arena near the city's core has seen a lot of false starts, according to Firestone, though he said there are signs this latest plan could be the start of something new. "I suspect it is, but the proof's in the pudding." The NCC announced Thursday it had again inked an agreement that would see a new arena and mixed-use development built on roughly three hectares of LeBreton Flats alongside Albert Street and between Preston Street and City Centre Avenue. The former working-class neighbourhood was bulldozed in the 1960s to make way for federal development that never happened. The bid from the Senators-led Capital Sports Development Inc. "checked all the boxes," said NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum. While plans are still being developed, the NCC said it has a goal of fall 2023 to reach a long-term land lease. The city will also have to sign off on the plans. A timeline for the project wasn't provided, but officials described it as both realistic and "aggressive." That lack of details raised red flags for Moseh Lander, a sports economist and lecturer at Concordia University. He said LeBreton Flats is the "perfect place" for an arena especially given the LRT access nearby at Bayview and Pimisi stations. Bayview is where the Confederation Line and Trillium Line meet and will have a pedestrian connection to Gatineau when the Chief William Commanda Bridge is ready. However, Lander pointed to the fact that a design, price tag and breakdown of who will cover what costs haven't yet been provided and said he doesn't seen any evidence of lessons learned from the last deal. "This could easily drag on for another five years, seven years; I mean we could be talking in 2030 about opening night for the Sens," said Lander. "All they've got at this point is that the location has been picked." The professor used the collapse of Calgary's $600-million arena deal as a cautionary tale and said deals can become contentious unless there's transparency and true partnership between all involved. Lander also said sports teams sometimes try to hold cities "hostage" by saying if they don't fork over funding for an arena, the franchise will leave. He warned councillors should "dig their heels in" and insist no money will go toward the project. "From an economic standpoint I can say almost unequivocally, government money never delivers a return if it's put into arenas and stadiums," said Lander. "The only thing that it does is make rich people richer." Somerset councillor and mayoral candidate Catherine McKenney called the arena agreement "good news," noting it would be just 60 metres from their home. "This is public land, it's being leased to the Senators, we expect a public benefit back from that and we expect that they will be able to fund that enterprise on their own," they told CBC Radio's All In A Day on Thursday. One thing that is different compared to the deal that fell apart in 2018 is that this parcel of land is much smaller, something McKenney and others said makes it much more manageable than dealing with the entire site. "It's the difference between pushing a boulder straight up a cliff and carrying a bunch of rocks up in your pocket one at a time," they said. Mayor Jim Watson also supports the plan. "We were very excited when the first proposal came and then really disappointed when it fell apart. Now we're back up and I think we've got a winner here." Firestone also referenced that difference, though he said the fact the Senators' current home in Kanata included an entire development was a positive. "I don't have to tell you how important ancillary revenues are," said Firestone, who said businesses, sports medicine clinics and land sales helped cover costs for the Canadian Tire Centre. That arena was built for about $240 million in what was then its own city, said the founder. Both he and Lander estimated a new one will cost about $1 billion. Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who Mayor Jim Watson had described as being difficult to deal with during past arena negotiations, died in March. Firestone said Melnyk's hand is still behind the effort to relocate to the city centre and his daughters Anna and Olivia want to rebuild the team's relationship with the community and fans. The man who founded the Senators said he wants to see them play downtown, too. "It really will right, in my opinion, a historical wrong." With files from Matthew Kupfer and CBC Radio's All In A Day https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...2022-1.6499507 |
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On the funding front, there's no reason (like literally, hard to argue against from the City's perspective) we can't make a similar deal with the Sens arena as we did/are doing with Lansdowne. City con contribute what the arena and associated development is expected to pay in municipal taxes over the next 30 years. That's not even counting the increased transit revenue and overall boost to the City's economy.
The Sens arena will do more for Ottawa than Lansdowne 2.0. Full-stop. With Mark Sutcliffe running for Mayor, I think this bodes well for the arena. The Sens have the right team, and the City may have the right leader to get this done. Curious what other candidates will say. I know McKenney supports the arena, but are they willing to make a contribution? Chiarelli's lost is stuck in suburban traffic hell, so he probably hasn't heard of the proposal yet. |
Interesting piece in French: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/sports/1...-arena-billets
Martin Leclerc Publié à 6 h 00 Quelques mois avant son décès survenu en mars dernier, Eugene Melnyk a tenté de réparer l’une de ses plus grandes erreurs en déposant une deuxième candidature pour obtenir le droit de construire un nouvel amphithéâtre près du centre-ville d’Ottawa. Le nouveau projet des Sénateurs a été retenu la semaine passée, mais cela ne signifie pas que l’erreur ait été complètement effacée. Jeudi dernier, la Commission de la capitale nationale a tenu une conférence de presse pour annoncer qu’un protocole d’entente avait été conclu avec les Sénateurs. Des négociations de bail pourront ainsi commencer en vue de l’éventuelle construction d’un nouvel amphithéâtre dans le secteur des plaines LeBreton, à un jet de pierre du parlement. Incroyablement, trois ans après qu’Eugene Melnyk eut saboté le plus gros projet immobilier des 50 dernières années à Ottawa, projet qui visait entre autres à doter les Sénateurs d’un nouveau domicile sur ces mêmes terrains, la CCN a permis à cette organisation de la LNH de se présenter à la plaque une deuxième fois. Par contre, le second lancer qu’on sert aux Sénateurs est pas mal moins alléchant que ne l’était le premier. En mai 2016, Melnyk s’était associé à John Ruddy, un magnat de l’immobilier traînant une réputation irréprochable dans la communauté d’affaires de la capitale, pour assurer le développement complet de 53 acres des plaines LeBreton. On parlait d’une affaire de 3,5 à 5 milliards qui allait faire jaillir un nouveau quartier d’affaires, de divertissements et d’habitations à proximité du centre-ville. L’implantation d’un pôle d’attraction majeur était jugée nécessaire à la réussite de ce projet, et c’était la principale carte qu’Eugene Melnyk détenait dans sa manche. Il possédait une équipe de la LNH et avait besoin d’un amphithéâtre. Il n’avait toutefois pas l’argent nécessaire pour financer ce nouveau domicile. À l’époque, la proposition de développement de Melnyk-Ruddy était en compétition avec celle du consortium Devcore Canderel DLS. La proposition de Devcore était appuyée par l’homme d’affaires André Desmarais et par le fondateur du Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté. Devcore prévoyait aussi la construction d’un nouvel amphithéâtre. Au bout du compte, c’est le projet de Melnyk-Ruddy, appelé Rendez-Vous LeBreton, qui avait été choisi. Mais assez rapidement, la relation entre les deux associés avait tourné au vinaigre. Après l’échec du partenariat Melnyk-Ruddy, un membre de la communauté d’affaires d’Ottawa, qui était bien au fait du litige, avait expliqué que Melnyk s’était tout simplement montré trop gourmand. Il avait tenté d’obtenir le beurre et l’argent du beurre. Même si le projet de Devcore Canderel DLS avait terminé 2e, Melnyk aurait pu inviter ces développeurs crédibles à s’asseoir autour de la table et à participer au développement des plaines LeBreton. Il voulait se faire payer un nouvel amphithéâtre et aurait pu demander à plusieurs partenaires de le construire, quitte à les laisser se partager les bénéfices du vaste développement immobilier adjacent. Mais ce n’est pas ce qu’il a fait, avait dit ce témoin privilégié. Melnyk avait plutôt tenté de refiler la facture du nouvel amphithéâtre à Ruddy, en plus de réclamer une partie des bénéfices du projet immobilier adjacent! Puis, à l’automne 2018, l’ancien propriétaire des Sénateurs a fait déborder le vase en poursuivant John Ruddy pour 700 millions de dollars. Melnyk reprochait à son partenaire de cannibaliser la rentabilité de Rendez-vous LeBreton parce que Ruddy planifiait, avec d’autres associés, la construction de trois gigantesques tours d’habitations à proximité des plaines. John Ruddy avait répliqué avec une contre-poursuite de 1 milliard de dollars. Et le projet était évidemment tombé à l’eau. Pour tenter de sauver les meubles, la CCN avait convié les deux partenaires à un processus de médiation. La démarche avait échoué. Les liens entre les deux hommes étaient irrémédiablement rompus. Au lendemain de cette invraisemblable crise, Eugene Melnyk s’est retrouvé complètement isolé de la communauté d’affaires ottavienne. Quand vous poursuivez vos partenaires d’affaires pour des sommes astronomiques, les gens ne se bousculent pas pour faire affaire avec vous. La semaine dernière, donc, la CCN a annoncé un projet remodelé. La version 2.0 du projet des Sénateurs sera désormais confinée sur 7 des 53 acres des plaines LeBreton. D’autres développeurs s’enrichiront avec le reste. Et au lieu de se faire construire un amphithéâtre moderne aux frais de leurs partenaires, les héritières de Melnyk (ses filles Anne et Olivia) devront trouver une façon de financer l’opération. Ce n’est plus du tout le même portrait. Le confrère Ian Mendes, du site Athlétique, a interrogé un expert qui soutenait que l’amphithéâtre des Sénateurs aurait coûté entre 600 et 700 millions de dollars si le projet de 2016 avait normalement suivi son cours. Or, en raison de l’explosion du coût des matériaux, il évaluait la facture à plus de 1 milliard. Si Melnyk n’avait pas les moyens de financer l’opération en 2016, il y a fort à parier que ses héritières se trouvent dans une position semblable. Par ailleurs, compte tenu de la piètre relation qu’entretenait Melnyk avec la communauté d’affaires d’Ottawa, il n’était pas étonnant d’apprendre que la nouvelle mouture du projet des Sénateurs s’appuie sur quatre partenaires américains : La firme de développement immobilier new-yorkaise Sterling Project Development, qui a récemment terminé la construction du nouvel amphithéâtre des Islanders de New York. La firme d’architectes Populous, qui a participé au design du Centre Vidéotron à Québec, et qui a récemment dressé les plans des nouveaux amphithéâtres des Islanders (l'aréna UBS), des Golden Knights de Vegas (le T-Mobile Arena) et du Kraken de Seattle (le Climate Pledge Arena). L'entreprise Tipping Point Sports, qui se spécialise dans le financement de projets sportifs, dont la construction de nouveaux amphithéâtres. L'entreprise Live Nation, qui est reconnue dans le secteur de la musique et de la production de spectacles. La présence de Live Nation vise à maximiser l’achalandage dans le futur amphithéâtre les soirs où l’équipe de hockey sera inactive. La présence de ces partenaires auprès des Sénateurs s’est avérée fort réconfortante pour les dirigeants de la Commission de la capitale nationale. Cela dit, avant qu’une première pelletée de terre ait lieu, il faudra bien trouver quelqu’un pour payer la construction de ce fameux nouvel amphithéâtre. Il sera donc très intéressant de voir qui lèvera la main pour assumer la facture. Le président des Sénateurs, Anthony LeBlanc, a laissé entendre qu’il n’est pas impossible que l’organisation demande des fonds publics pour réaliser son projet. Il a déjà commencé à articuler le discours classique voulant que son équipe professionnelle soit créatrice d’activité économique et de richesse. Cette théorie a toutefois été démolie mille fois par de nombreux économistes de renom. On souhaite bonne chance aux Sénateurs si jamais ils choisissent de s’engager dans cette voie. Au Canada, une seule équipe de la LNH, soit les Oilers d'Edmonton, est parvenue à obtenir du financement public pour son amphithéâtre. Il a fallu attendre deux ans avant que l’administration municipale et les Oilers trouvent un terrain d’entente. À Calgary, les discussions qui duraient depuis 2015 sont rompues depuis plusieurs mois. Dans sa dernière évaluation financière des équipes de la LNH, le magazine Forbes estimait la valeur des Sénateurs à quelque 525 millions de dollars. À elle seule, une entente ferme avec la CCN sécurisant la construction d’un nouvel amphithéâtre ferait probablement bondir la valeur de quelques centaines de millions. Pour les héritières de Melnyk, il pourrait s’agir de la fenêtre idéale pour vendre le club. Elles pourraient ainsi maximiser leur profit sans avoir à engager de dépenses pharaoniques pour construire l’amphithéâtre. Ou sans avoir à s’engager dans de longues négociations avec la Ville et/ou la province. Toutefois, avant de penser à vendre les Sénateurs ou à planifier la construction d’un nouvel aréna, les nouvelles propriétaires doivent se départir de la poursuite de 1 milliard de dollars qui pend au-dessus de leur tête. La CCN pourrait contribuer à un règlement à l’amiable en redonnant à John Ruddy le mandat de développer le reste des plaines LeBreton. Sinon, on voit mal pourquoi Ruddy lâcherait le morceau, et cette épée de Damoclès pourrait paralyser les Sénateurs pendant plusieurs années. Enfin, quand on additionne toutes les embûches susceptibles de ralentir le projet de nouvel amphithéâtre, on se dit que les Sénateurs feraient mieux de continuer à bien entretenir le Centre Canadian Tire parce qu’il pourrait servir encore longtemps. Et surtout, on se dit que tous ces problèmes auraient facilement pu être évités si Melnyk avait mieux cultivé sa relation avec John Ruddy. Malheureusement, l’harmonie en affaires n’était pas son truc. |
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As for Calgary, they were ready to invest public funds, but the Flames blew up the deal. Pretty sure Winnipeg contributed to the MTS centre as well, again, before even having an NHL team. |
LeBreton Flats plan is good, but it won't save Ottawa's downtown
At least it’s reasonable to assume that, this time, the downtown arena will be built. The volatility of long-time Senators' owner Eugene Melnyk is no longer in play. Randall Denley, Ottawa Citizen Jun 28, 2022 • 1 day ago • 3 minute read The announcement of a possible NHL rink on LeBreton Flats has been greeted with apparent enthusiasm, but how much will it really do to revitalize our moribund downtown? For years, the purpose of Ottawa’s downtown was to provide office space for the federal government. The result was a bleak and uninviting area that lacks significant green space, useful attractions or businesses that are open past 5 p.m. As a place to live, the downtown didn’t have much to recommend it beyond the opportunity to walk to work. Now, even that advantage has been diminished. With the pandemic-induced enthusiasm for working from home, it is now estimated that perhaps only 50 per cent of federal public servants will still work in offices in the core. Highly visible condo towers can give the impression that there is a significant downtown residential population, but it’s deceiving. Somerset Ward, which includes the downtown, Centretown and LeBreton Flats, has a population of about 44,000 people, just a bit larger than Stittsville. A new arena downtown will certainly encourage more visitors, but what will their visit contribute to downtown? At most, they might go for dinner before an event, maybe for a drink afterwards. Assuming, of course, that there are restaurants and bars in close proximity to the arena. The National Capital Commission’s plan for LeBreton does make provision for such businesses, but it will be challenging if their only busy nights are when there is something on at the rink. The NCC estimates that about 7,500 people will live on the redeveloped LeBreton, eventually. While that is three times larger than the population of Carp, it doesn’t provide much of a neighbourhood customer base for non-event days. The argument that an NHL arena should be downtown because that’s where all the action is has always been a bit suspect in Ottawa, but there is a long-held belief that the new location will be better for the Senators and their fans. Senators’ attendance has waned in recent years and some attribute that to the location of the rink. It’s a not a compelling argument. When the Senators iced a winning team, they sold out regularly. The rink hasn’t moved. Certainly a new building will help attract fans, at least until the novelty wears off. Perhaps this one will even have hot water for the washroom sinks. The locational benefit for fans depends on where they live. While the Canadian Tire Centre’s Kanata site is derisively referred to as “the middle of nowhere,” it’s superbly convenient for people in the western suburbs. Once the rink moves downtown, people will have to rely on the LRT. That might be fine, depending on the LRT’s ability to handle the crush of people leaving the rink at the same time. That has been a challenge for the Ottawa RedBlacks and their OC Transpo game-day service. Getting to Lansdowne is easy, but getting on a bus home requires patience and the crowd-evading skills of a football running back. At least it’s reasonable to assume that, this time, the downtown arena will be built. The volatility of long-time owner Eugene Melnyk is no longer in play, and the Senators have attracted an impressive group of partners with experience in building arenas and attracting non-hockey events. What we don’t know yet is where the money will come from and who is really in charge. The NCC will have design control, as it is only leasing the land for the new rink. On balance, the new arena will be a plus for a downtown that sorely needs one. It will not, however, be a salvation. The downtown needs to find a new purpose and what that might be is far from clear. A redeveloped LeBreton will add much needed green space and could be an interesting place to live. That’s good, but it won’t do much to revive what’s left of our downtown. Randall Denley is an Ottawa political commentator and author. Contact him at [email protected] https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/de...tawas-downtown |
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And besides, your local hockey team doesn't exist to drive sport tourism. It exists to drive revenue from locals. The tourism and travelling fan stuff is extra. This is beside the fact that any situation at LeBreton for restaurants or bars is impossible to be worse than the current situation in Kanata, where the arena is surrounded exclusively by car dealerships. Quote:
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Part of living and being in a city is understanding that sometimes you might have to stand in line for 10 minutes. Downtown isn't your suburb where you park your car ten feet from the door. Quote:
Downtown doesn't have that many people? Actually yes it does because it's located in the centre of the CMA. The author also fails to consider that Hull exists in this reality. People might have to take the LRT? The horror. Good thing the LRT is getting extended to Kanata for the express purpose of getting people to and from their far-flung suburbs. Weak article. |
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The death of downtown has been greatly exaggerated. Denley's article, once again, misses the mark.
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On his comparison between Stittsville and Somerset Ward; downtown is far denser, and he somehow forgot to add the population of Hull and Kitchissippi Ward right next door, both well connected by bike and transit. |
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what a tough look for Randall. |
Ottawa Senators LeBreton Arena | 11 Acres | In Planning
We have a deal! :cheers::notacrook:
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WOW! At the 11th hour we have amazing news! Plenty of work still to be done but this should be a proud day for the Sens and all of Ottawa.
God that was a helpless feeling all morning constantly refreshing my feeds waiting for an announcement of an announcement. I was optimistic considering all signs seems positive for the past week or so, after appearing less promising about a month ago. But you never know, and then the dreadful thought crept in that something would be thrown out at 4pm stating talks had failed. Yet here we are, another major box ticked on the road to a truly transformative project. I firmly believe once this arena is built, it will completely change the city for the better. It's the anchor we need. Congrats to all involved. GO SENS GO! |
Apparently the amount of parking allowed was the main sticking point. On one hand, I hate it, but on the other hand, it shows they are serious, so there's that.
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