Ottawa Senators LeBreton Arena | 11 Acres | In Planning

[Spoonsy]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

Way back in the 900 Albert thread I mused about a ped/bike bridge across to Wellington over the O-Train tracks, basically restoring the old axis of Wellington for pedestrians and cyclists. I wish they would include this as it could really turn Hintonburg into a great entertainment district with direct links to the arena, and make waling cycling even more convenient from the surrounding neighbourhoods.

For what it's worth, this is in the West Downtown Core Secondary Plan

4.1 Designations
12) New public parks shall be provided, including but not limited to:
b) on the east and west ends of the Wellington Street right of way linking a new multi-use, pedestrian and cycling bridge crossing of the O-Train corridor to City Centre Avenue – shown on Schedule B: Bayview Station District Designation
Plan.

and

4.5 Circulation
7) A new multi-use bridge crossing of the O-Train corridor shall be provided within the former Wellington Street right of way.

and they've tied it to any City Centre redevelopment:

4.9 Implementation Strategy
250 City Centre Avenue
The direction of the Bayview Station District CDP will see the property at 250 City Centre Avenue (owned by Equity Realty Group Inc.) transform significantly to a dense urban fabric over time. While much of the needed public realm and mobility improvements to facilitate this transformation of the lands can be captured on-site through the development review process, it is recognized that certain off-site works will also be needed to facilitate this transformation. In particular the construction of the Wellington Street pedestrian/cycle bridge as well as pathway linkages and associated landscape improvements will be needed to connect across City lands to the existing north-south multi-use pathway. To that end the landowners agree to an indexed contribution of $450,000 towards the design and construction of the future pedestrian and cycling bridge over the existing OTrain corridor along the former Wellington Street right of way. This payment shall be phased with 50 per cent required at the time of issuance of the building permit for their first high-rise building and the balance upon issuance of a building permit when they have exceeded 120,000 m² of space. Further, the owner also agrees to construct pathway connections and provide appropriate landscaping from their site across City lands to connect to the multi-use pathway running parallel to the O-Train.

[SL123]

^I feel like an underpass tunnel would've been so much cheaper and a lot easier to do during the shutdown of Line 2 for the stage 2 construction.

[OTSkyline]

Isn't there already a pedestrian overpass near there already? The infamous bridge-to-nowhere (since there is no progress at 900 Albert)

[rocketphish]

NCC, Ottawa Senators trying to come up with the right price for LeBreton Flats
The Senators and NCC are making progress towards the club's purchase of 10 acres of land at LeBreton Flats, but have yet to agree on fair market value

By Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 17, 2025 | Last updated 6 hours ago

The National Capital Commission and the Ottawa Senators continue to make steps in the right direction for the club’s new home at LeBreton Flats.

But there are hurdles to clear for officials from the NCC and the Senators to complete the sale of 10 acres of land to the club at the site 10 minutes west of Parliament Hill, with a self-imposed deadline of the end of the calendar year 2025 to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.

The Senators have agreed to pay “fair market value” for the land, but it needs to be cleaned up through a remediation process, and there are a lot of details that need to be ironed out before the sale is completed.

Sources with knowledge of the talks between the Senators and the NCC, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, say the two sides are trying to determine a proper price for the five parcels of land and a significant gap remains to be bridged to finalize a deal.

The indications are that the NCC and the Senators have both had assessments of the land’s cost, which have left both parties trying to determine what constitutes “fair market value.” We’re also led to believe there was a third party assessment.

The sources cautioned that both sides are committed to getting the sale of the land across the finish line and they’re both trying to find common ground on the price while also working through other elements of finalizing the agreement in regular meetings.

Both sides have put a lot of time, money and effort into this. They want to get it done.

The board of directors will gather on Thursday for a public meeting at the NCC’s headquarters on Elgin Street, but if you’re waiting for an update on the talks with the Senators, don’t hold your breath because that won’t be coming in the two-hour public portion of the session.

Instead, 30 minutes have been set aside for the in-camera agenda on Thursday afternoon, which means the discussions have reached a sensitive stage with both sides trying desperately to keep the talks under wraps to get the sale of the land across the finish line.

That’s where it’s expected Tobi Nussbaum, the chief executive officer of the NCC, who just had his term extended for another four years before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left office in March, will give the board a fulsome update of the progress made at LeBreton.

The two sides reached an agreement in principle on Sept. 20, 2024, for the Senators to purchase the land to build a new rink and an arena district, including restaurants and bars.

The NCC has set aside a 10-acre piece of land on Albert Street between Preston Street and the City Centre, just west of Ottawa’s new central library, which is now under construction.

Senators president and chief operating officer Cyril Leeder told season-ticket holders at the club’s second annual summit last Tuesday at the Canadian Tire Centre that progress is being made. He noted there wasn’t much for public consumption, but understands the attention people are paying to this file.

“I can tell you we’re working hard on an agreement with the NCC,” Leeder told the audience. “It’s complicated. We are making progress. We had a very productive meeting today, a two-hour meeting that went very well.

“It’s a big project with a long timeline and a big lead time for this type of project. And I can tell the fans that we’re absolutely committed to helping revitalize downtown, and we think the major event centre is a big part of that solution.”

Senators owner Michael Andlauer has stated publicly he’ll do what the fans want and he believes a majority would like to see the club closer to downtown. It would also give people on the Gatineau side of the Ottawa River easier access to the franchise to help grow the fan base.

Leeder told Postmedia in March he can’t put a timeline on when the project will be completed until the Senators start digging. That doesn’t mean the Senators haven’t been able to work on other aspects of the rink while working with the NCC.

Work is being done on the design side of the facility.

The Senators have visited UBS Arena in Long Island, Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and Rogers Place Arena in Edmonton to get ideas of what they’d like to have in their new home.

Leeder said at the time, the Senators are also trying to determine how many seats and suites the new rink will have, plus public spaces.

For those antsy about a timeline, nothing happens quickly when there is red tape involved.

The NCC announced an agreement in principle with Live Nation to build a concert space in the building that housed Chapter’s downtown on Sussex Drive last June, and it took eight months to complete the paperwork for the 2,000-seat space that will open later this year

[email protected]

https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-senator...-with-the-right-price-for-lebreton-flats

[J.OT13]

What we got from this article is that the Sens are already working on designing the arena. Should be able to hit the ground running after purchasing the site and remediating the soil.

[rocketphish]

NCC is confident a deal with Ottawa Senators will be completed for LeBreton Flats

By Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 19, 2025 | 4 minute read

The National Capital Commission is confident the dream of the Ottawa Senators moving closer to downtown will become a reality.

Tobi Nussbaum, the chief executive officer of the NCC, speaking after the public portion of the organization’s board of directors meeting on Thursday that the two sides are holding regular talks to complete the formal sale of 10 acres of land to the Senators.

“We are having regular meetings with representatives of the hockey club,” Nussbaum said in a response to a question from Postmedia for an update on the talks. “Those conversations and those meetings are going well. You know, there are many complexities in the agreement.

“I think we’ve managed successfully to deal with and resolve many of them. There are still a couple of outstanding issues, but the energy and the feeling between the teams are very positive. There is a sense of confidence that we will be able to arrive at an agreement.”

That’s consistent with what Cyril Leeder, the Senators president and chief operating officer, told season-ticket holders during a summit at the Canadian Tire Centre 10 days ago. He said the two sides were working hard on an agreement, and they’re making progress.

The two sides reached an agreement in principle on Sept. 20, 2024, for the Senators to purchase the land to build a new rink and an arena district, including restaurants and bars.

The NCC has set aside a 10-acre piece of land on Albert Street between Preston Street and the City Centre, just west of Ottawa’s new central library, which is now under construction.

There wasn’t any formal discussion about the talks between the NCC and the Senators during the public portion of the meeting.

<more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-senators/ncc-confident-deal-will-completed-lebreton-flats

[J.OT13]

Let's bring back our trusty diagram of parcels.

Now we're saying 5 parcels. The arena represents 3, so I would assume the two purple ones to the right. I don't think they'd split those, so Bayview Triangle must be out.

[rocketphish]

NCC, Ottawa Senators making 'real progress' on LeBreton deal
"Both parties are working hard to reach an agreement and are committed to bringing a major events centre to LeBreton Flats," the NCC said Friday.

By Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jul 18, 2025 | Last updated 2 hours ago

The National Capital Commission and the Ottawa Senators are making significant progress to finalize the hockey club’s purchase of 10 acres of land to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats.

Sources told Postmedia on Friday that the two sides were inching closer to completing the sale, which would see the Senators purchase the land 10 minutes west of Parliament Hill to build a new rink and an arena district that included restaurants and bars.

Both sides have stated they’d like to have the formal sale completed by the end of 2025, but, if the discussions can be fast-tracked, it could be approved by the NCC’s board of directors during their annual public meeting on Sept. 23.

That may be optimistic, but talks are continuing and there is optimism that the sale will be completed because closing the deal is important and the two sides have had good dialogue.

The NCC said in a statement to Postmedia on Friday that the negotiations were continuing and the two sides were focused on finalizing the deal.

“Both parties are working hard to reach an agreement and are committed to bringing a major events centre to LeBreton Flats,” the NCC said.

The NCC has set aside a 10-acre piece of land on Albert Street between Preston Street and the City Centre, just west of Ottawa’s new super-library, which is now under construction. It’s believed the arena project will also include a hotel and residential space.

Tobi Nussbaum, the NCC’s chief executive officer, and Senators CEO and president Cyril Leeder announced on Sept. 20, 2024, that the two sides had reached an agreement in principle for the National Hockey League club to buy the land.

Since then, the NCC and representatives of the Senators, led by Leeder, have held regular talks.

Postmedia reported in June that sources with knowledge of the talks said the two sides were trying to determine a proper price for the five parcels of land and a significant gap remained to be bridged.

The indications were that the NCC and the Senators both had assessments of the land’s cost done, which left the parties trying to determine what constituted “fair market value.”

Postmedia also reported that there was a third-party assessment to help move the talks along, and that hurdle may have been cleared.

Environment assessments of the area by the NCC have determined that the soil is contaminated. The site will have to be cleaned up, and, though the costs have been estimated, they, too, are also yet to be determined.

The cost of remediation won’t impede a deal, but part of the negotiation on the purchase price involves what it will cost to get the site cleaned up.

The final deal hasn’t happened as quickly as Senators owner Michael Andlauer would like, but there is no shortage of issues to overcome and it is a complex agreement. Andlauer has stated he’d like to bring the club to downtown Ottawa because that’s where the fans have indicated they want it to be.

Leeder told Postmedia in March he couldn’t put a timeline on when the project would be completed until the Senators started digging. That doesn’t mean they haven’t been able to work on other aspects of the rink while working with the NCC, however.

Senators represented have visited UBS Arena in Long Island, Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and Rogers Place Arena in Edmonton to get ideas of what they’d like to have in their new home.

The Senators are also trying to determine how many seats and suites the new rink will have, plus public spaces.

“It’s not the type of thing where we’re going to have weekly or monthly updates,” Leeder told TSN 1200’s Steve Lloyd on Wednesday. “We’re fully committed to working away at doing something downtown, bringing a major events centre to the downtown, and we’re working with different partners on that now.

“We’re trying to make that happen. We’re having ongoing discussions with the NCC. We talked to them (Tuesday). That’s going to be a continued project right on the front of my desk for the foreseeable future.”

The Senators will celebrate 30 years at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata on Jan. 17, 2026, with a game against the Montreal Canadiens. Upgrades are being made to the team’s current arena.

“We’re here for five years for sure,” Leeder told Postmedia in March. “We have a good place, and the building is in decent shape. We were touring some people through, and they were all amazed that it’s 30 years old. We’ve kept it up to a good standard.”

Sometimes progress can be difficult to make in the summer months, but it’s encouraging to hear that the Senators and the NCC have stepped closer to the point where the dream of a downtown arena could finally become reality.


[email protected]

https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-senators/ncc-ottawa-senators-progress-lebreton

[J.OT13]

So end of September instead of end of the year. Earlier than what was suggested, unheard of!

And 2030 puck drop is quite ambitious, but if they did enough work on design beforehand, it could be plausible.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

So end of September instead of end of the year. Earlier than what was suggested, unheard of!

And 2030 puck drop is quite ambitious, but if they did enough work on design beforehand, it could be plausible.

Agreed, will be nice to hear some good news on this. I don't think 4+ years is too short a timeline:

Little Caesars (Detroit) - 28 months (interesting article)

UBS Arena (Long Island) - 26 months (article)

Rogers Place (Edmonton) - 30 months (CBC Article)

We have a site with relatively few restrictions in terms of construction access so I can't imagine it will be too complex of a build. There just has to be a political and financial will. My guess is we break ground late 2026 for puck drop late 2030. Reading those articles gets me really excited for what this could do for our downtown. I remember sitting on a hill near my friend's house in late 1995 and watching them lift the P-A-L-L-A-D-I-U-M letters into place; it was super exciting! Hopefully we build the next arena for 50 years as it seems a bit weird that it's outlived its useful life in 30 :-(.

[J.OT13]

Decontamination is the wild card here. Who will do it, how fast they can get it done. And then what kind of deal they can make with the City for tax breaks. At least they won't ask for straight up public funds, which is really great.

The CIP for redeveloping contaminated lands is still in effect, right? I could see the City making a big deal out of it because "the NCC should fund it themselves", but the truth is, the Sens will own the land and will purchase it with the decontamination in mind.

When the Palladium was built, it was exciting for me too. I remember watching the timelapse of construction on the news. Going there from Gatineau felt like an eternity though.

I do wonder how much the P.A.L.L.A.D.I.U.M letters cost to manufacture and install for a couple months they were up there, and what happened to them after. Could still be in storage under the arena.

The building was well maintained throughout its 30 years. It's still a good building. The location is just really bad. I'm hoping they find another use for it like an indoor water or theme park with a hotel around the edge, a downsized arena for the AHL team (a 10k-12k seat arena to replace what we'll be losing at Lansdowne), something. It would be wasteful to demolish it outright considering everything that has been invested, and will continue to be invested over the next few years.

[J.OT13]

I'm looking forward to seeing the design of the new arena. I love Little Caesars design that really blends in with the urban fabric. It's an arena behind a series of classic brick commercial buildings. You would never know it's an arena.

On the other hand, it's not a standout landmark for the city. The LeBreton arena's location, visible from the river and a future "central park" demands a landmark design.

I know I don't like Edmonton's arena. It fits in well over there, but it would stand out like a shiny sore thumb in Ottawa.

I do worry about the slow down in Ottawa's economy. The housing market has started to soften, the threats of Federal layoffs doesn't help the situation either. The vision of an entertainment district might take a few more decades. Outside a luxury hotel to accommodate hockey teams and other big acts, it will be hard to build much of anything else if the slowdown continues.

[AuxTown]

The more I look at this shot, the more it amazes me that they will be able to fit an NHL arena on that little spot of land. Can't wait to see some more renderings from the Sens. Fall update?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

The more I look at this shot, the more it amazes me that they will be able to fit an NHL arena on that little spot of land. Can't wait to see some more renderings from the Sens. Fall update?

Seems tight indeed. The current arena would be a bit too large to fit on that site. The Winnipeg Jets arena would fit comfortably though. I think Edmonton's would fit as well (if you remove the casino, community rink and Ford Hall). Calgary's new arena site seems larger. They'll have to be creative with the space they have. I imagine it will be bigger than the Jets arena, but smaller than the current Palladium.

Note that's I'm looking at the 6 acres for the arena, and not the additional 4 acres.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Seems tight indeed. The current arena would be a bit too large to fit on that site. The Winnipeg Jets arena would fit comfortably though. I think Edmonton's would fit as well (if you remove the casino, community rink and Ford Hall). Calgary's new arena site seems larger. They'll have to be creative with the space they have. I imagine it will be bigger than the Jets arena, but smaller than the current Palladium.

Note that's I'm looking at the 6 acres for the arena, and not the additional 4 acres.

I think that fitting the arena itself is doable, particularly if you could extend concourses out over the tracks. The community rink is the real wildcard. I'm pretty sure that the Sens will be pretty firm on having a practice facility on site, and the City should also be on board as it needs to replace downtown arenas. It would be possible to put a rink in the podium of condo/hotel towers, but not particularly easy.

Unfortunately Tom Brown is just a bit too far away, so I think that the likeliest option is a rink or two as part of a rec centre for the Flats area. Just not sure if they are flexible enough to plan for that to be adjacent the arena. Or at least within a stop on the LRT. I've got to say that it would be kind of cool to see players dressed for practice hopping on the train.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by phil235

I think that fitting the arena itself is doable, particularly if you could extend concourses out over the tracks. The community rink is the real wildcard. I'm pretty sure that the Sens will be pretty firm on having a practice facility on site, and the City should also be on board as it needs to replace downtown arenas. It would be possible to put a rink in the podium of condo/hotel towers, but not particularly easy.

Unfortunately Tom Brown is just a bit too far away, so I think that the likeliest option is a rink or two as part of a rec centre for the Flats area. Just not sure if they are flexible enough to plan for that to be adjacent the arena. Or at least within a stop on the LRT. I've got to say that it would be kind of cool to see players dressed for practice hopping on the train.

I was always hoping Tom Brown could be replaced on site with a Sensplex, but you're probably right that it's too far. The Sens would probably want to minimize potential negotiations/conflicts with the somewhat hostile Council we have now.

The Sens could always place the community rink underground, which is what the Flames will be doing with their new rink, partially under the arena concourse, partially under the fan plaza.




https://flamesnation.ca/news/new-calgary...led-by-city-scotia-place-to-open-in-2027

I like how the Flames arena will also have the concourse at ground level instead of having to go up one level like in most rinks.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/scotia-place-arena-development-permit-approved-1.7409195

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I was always hoping Tom Brown could be replaced on site with a Sensplex, but you're probably right that it's too far. The Sens would probably want to minimize potential negotiations/conflicts with the somewhat hostile Council we have now.

The Sens could always place the community rink underground, which is what the Flames will be doing with their new rink, partially under the arena concourse, partially under the fan plaza.

Interesting idea. Under the plaza makes sense (if they have room for a big plaza on that parcel). Wonder how they handle the roof in that case, as that is a lot of weight to support over a broad span. Sounds expensive, just based on the costs cited to do an accessible green roof on the arena at Lansdowne.

Maybe they do just go with Tom Brown. That gives them room for two ice surfaces and more of a proper Sensplex setup, which is probably better from a community use perspective, plus room for spectators, which most practice rinks have. I can't see an indoor connection being possible, but some kind of shuttle from their main dressing room would be a cheaper option, I'm sure.

[MountainView]

Joint statement from the National Capital Commission and Capital Sports Development Inc

The NCC and Capital Sports Development Inc. (CSDI) are pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement of purchase and sale for land parcels totalling approximately 11 acres at LeBreton Flats. This agreement is a key step in bringing a major events centre and arena district, including mixed-use development, to LeBreton Flats.

With the agreement of purchase and sale finalized, both parties can proceed with next steps in the project. These include zoning, design and approvals, as well as decontamination of the land parcels to prepare for construction.

“The promise of a major events centre will provide a lively and convenient attraction for residents and visitors, inject new energy and excitement into the core of the Nation’s Capital and further catalyze the development of LeBreton Flats. This agreement builds on the two previous real estate transactions completed by the NCC since 2022 on the Building LeBreton project that will see over 2000 new housing units along with new retail and commercial spaces built on the site.”
—Tobi Nussbaum, Chief Executive Officer, National Capital Commission

“We are pleased to reach an agreement of purchase and sale with the NCC to take the next step in this process. There are still many more hurdles to clear and we look forward to working with the NCC and other stakeholders to achieve our shared vision of creating an event centre at LeBreton Flats that can be enjoyed by our Ottawa-Gatineau community.”
—Cyril Leeder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ottawa Senators

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by phil235

Interesting idea. Under the plaza makes sense (if they have room for a big plaza on that parcel). Wonder how they handle the roof in that case, as that is a lot of weight to support over a broad span. Sounds expensive, just based on the costs cited to do an accessible green roof on the arena at Lansdowne.

Looks like they put the community rink under basket ball courts and a half... soccer pitch..? Which I assume becomes a skating rink in winter? So maybe those areas won't be used for fan gathering spot, but for a few dozen people playing sports/skating. That would be hard to control though.

[J.OT13]

Sens, NCC have land sale agreement for LeBreton Flats arena
Joint statement says it's a key step toward new event centre
CBC News · Posted: Aug 11, 2025 1:46 PM EDT | Last Updated: 22 minutes ago

The Ottawa Senators and National Capital Commission (NCC) say they've taken the next step toward building a major events centre and surrounding district at LeBreton Flats on the western edge of the city's downtown.

The NCC and Capital Sports and Development Inc. (CDSI), the corporation representing the Senators in the project, put out a joint statement Monday afternoon.

"[We] have signed an agreement of purchase and sale for land parcels totalling approximately 11 acres at LeBreton Flats," it said.

"Both parties can proceed with next steps in the project. These include zoning, design and approvals, as well as decontamination of the land parcels to prepare for construction," it went on to say.

The two sides reached an agreement in principle on the project last September. The Senators have been working on their next arena for several years.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-senators-new-arena-ncc-lebreton-flats-1.7605973