Auditor general highlights risks of latest plan to retool Lansdowne Park
Tight construction deadlines, tariffs and 50-year term of deal with OSEG among potential pitfalls
CBC News
Posted: Nov 03, 2025 9:05 AM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour ago
The Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment plan faces risks including a tight construction timeline, tariffs, Redblacks attendance and the uncertainty built into a financial deal that lasts until 2075, according to the office of Ottawa's auditor general.
In a
report released Monday, the auditor general took another look at the $419-million redevelopment of the city-owned park in the Glebe.
It raises concerns that the city's 10 per cent contingency fund may not cover extra costs, leaving taxpayers on the hook.
The city's reliance on revenue from the Ottawa Redblacks could also leave it short, while construction delays with the new arena, north side stands and residential towers could result in penalties.
In the short term, alumimum, steel and other tariffs will cause uncertainty. In the longer term, it's difficult to predict how market conditions will affect the proposed 50-year deal with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group.
The audit finds the city's assumptions about retail and event revenue at the new arena reasonable.
The city's audit committee will hear from Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon on Tuesday. City council is expected to vote on the project Friday.
On Monday, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe thanked Gougeon for her work, calling the audit "a very helpful report that identifies a number of areas of concern."
He said staff are ready to move on her recommendations.
"Clearly there has to be reporting back on a regular basis about the cost side of Lansdowne 2.0 and the other financial projections on the revenue side," he said. "So I'm very supportive of that. I think the auditor has done an excellent job drawing our attention to those issues."
Sutcliffe said the contingency fund for the project is "significant," but added that the city has still other strategies it can use to protect taxpayers from risk.
"It's a big project and the model is over many, many years, so there are always risks inherent in that kind of project, as there are in every other major construction project the city undertakes."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/lansdowne-park-ottawa-construction-audit-money-cost-9.6964289
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