Ottawa Senators LeBreton Arena | 11 Acres | In Planning

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by AuxTown

Today's AI slop while we wait for actual news



Ottawa looks....different....

My God that's terrible. It's like a bland version of London with the river, bridges and the placement of the Peace Tower. And then throw in Boston TD Garden for good measure?

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

My God that's terrible. It's like a bland version of London with the river, bridges and the placement of the Peace Tower. And then throw in Boston TD Garden for good measure?

The rink looks pretty cool, though!

[Norman Bates]

OMG! My eyes hurt.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

My God that's terrible. It's like a bland version of London with the river, bridges and the placement of the Peace Tower. And then throw in Boston TD Garden for good measure?

TD Garden directly beside the new rink. Bizarre.

[J.OT13]

Senators and Algonquin Anishinabe Nation plan ‘economic partnership’ at LeBreton Flats

Marissa Galko, OBJ
March 26, 2026

The Ottawa Senators and the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation are working toward establishing a “long-term economic partnership” as plans for a new arena at LeBreton Flats continue to take shape. “Through ongoing discussions, both parties have identified a strong alignment in their commitment to creating Ottawa–Gatineau’s next great gathering place – one that recognizes and honours […]

==PAYWALLED==

https://obj.ca/senators-algonquin-anishi.../?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

[golfguy9]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

We often hear that the LeBreton Master Plan doesn't have enough anchors, but there are three with the War Museum (a draw to the Flats, but not necessarily for locals), the NHL Arena (200 days a year for about 4 hours each of those days) and Adisoke (the only all day draw for both locals and visitors). Not having Adisoke would leave a big void in making LeBreton a complete community of interest.

The Sens have 41 home games (plus 16 more if we're ever lucky). With other events, the stadium is booked maybe 80 nights a year; not close to 200.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by golfguy9

The Sens have 41 home games (plus 16 more if we're ever lucky). With other events, the stadium is booked maybe 80 nights a year; not close to 200.

Don't forget the Charge and Black Bears. The current Palladium hosts more than 100 events per year, so a brand new Downtown arena should attract far more.

150-200 is the number stated for the new arena most places.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Don't forget the Charge and Black Bears. The current Palladium hosts more than 100 events per year, so a brand new Downtown arena should attract far more.

150-200 is the number stated for the new arena most places.

I am not sure it will lead to a lot more events. Maybe trade shows or something like that. There just aren’t that many arena scale events anymore.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I am not sure it will lead to a lot more events. Maybe trade shows or something like that. There just aren’t that many arena scale events anymore.

I'm not sure how great a venue the arena will be for trade shows. Maybe political conventions or things like that. Something around 150 events a year is a pretty reasonable goal though. Even the MTS Centre in Winnipeg is well over 100.

The Sens alone account for more like 50+ dates when you account for pre-season games, skills competition, watch parties, coaching clinics and season ticketholder events. Add in playoff games and you are higher. 16-18 games for the Charge and 10 for the Black Bears, plus maybe 15 more for annual events like the Belleville Sens, Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, monster trucks, bull riding, Capital Hoops etc. You're approaching 100 dates just looking at regular events.

According to concertarchives, the average number of concerts per year at the CTC has been in the 25-30 range over the last decade or so. The new arena should be more versatile for concerts just by virtue of it being more modern, and mid-sized concerts that might have gone to Lansdowne are more likely to go to a downtown rink than Kanata.

Getting to 150 will depend on their ability to attract special events like the Mem Cup, World Juniors, Final 8, Junos etc. That will definitely happen a lot when the arena is new, but the trick will be sustaining the pace.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by phil235

I'm not sure how great a venue the arena will be for trade shows. Maybe political conventions or things like that. Something around 150 events a year is a pretty reasonable goal though. Even the MTS Centre in Winnipeg is well over 100.

The Sens alone account for more like 50+ dates when you account for pre-season games, skills competition, watch parties, coaching clinics and season ticketholder events. Add in playoff games and you are higher. 16-18 games for the Charge and 10 for the Black Bears, plus maybe 15 more for annual events like the Belleville Sens, Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, monster trucks, bull riding, Capital Hoops etc. You're approaching 100 dates just looking at regular events.

According to concertarchives, the average number of concerts per year at the CTC has been in the 25-30 range over the last decade or so. The new arena should be more versatile for concerts just by virtue of it being more modern, and mid-sized concerts that might have gone to Lansdowne are more likely to go to a downtown rink than Kanata.

Getting to 150 will depend on their ability to attract special events like the Mem Cup, World Juniors, Final 8, Junos etc. That will definitely happen a lot when the arena is new, but the trick will be sustaining the pace.

You have more or less listed events that already go to the CTC. What are the types of activities that would be new for a downtown arena? I don’t think there are many arenas used 150 nights a year unless they have a basketball team.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by acottawa

You have more or less listed events that already go to the CTC. What are the types of activities that would be new for a downtown arena? I don’t think there are many arenas used 150 nights a year unless they have a basketball team.

The new arena won't attract new kinds of events, but more of the events that are hosted in arenas.

The current Palladium is at a disadvantage because of its location in the boonies surrounding by parking and nothing else.

The new arena will be a far more interesting location that will encourage more activities around. The new arena will have a hotel directly connected which will make it far easier for visiting acts to house their artists and personnel. Those artists and personnel will be able to easily access food and entertainment options nearby.

Just the fact that it will be new will attract more events.

And finally, the City building a smaller arena at Lansdowne means less competition within the region. At the moment, the Civic Centre's superior location and somewhat comparable size makes Lansdowne an attractive alternative, but the LeBreton arenas location and Lansdowne's shrinking footprint removes that competitive edge from Lansdowne.

[J.OT13]

Une mise à jour sur les plaines LeBreton

Évidemment que le dossier des plaines LeBreton fut l’un des sujets principaux lors de cette mêlée de presse. Les Sénateurs officiellement propriétaires d’un terrain de 11 acres dans ce secteur en développement depuis le mois d’août dernier. Le projet de construction d’un nouvel amphithéâtre avance tranquillement, mais sûrement.

«Nous avons déjà dépensé des millions, a lancé Andlauer. Nous avons avancé les dossiers environnementaux et nos conversations avec la Commission de la capitale nationale avancent bien également. Tout est fait de la bonne façon. Nous sommes excités et nous allons mettre encore énormément d’effort dans ce projet.»

Le coût total du projet est encore loin d’être connu. La première pelleter de terre non plus n’est pas prévue pour demain matin. Le développement devrait inclure bien plus qu’un simple amphithéâtre alors que des commerçants et des logements sont dans la mire de l’organisation dans cet important dossier.

«C’est beaucoup plus gros qu’un simple projet de construction d’un aréna. C’est ce que ça représente pour la ville et la région qui est important également.»

Aucune demande formelle de financement publique n’a encore été faite. Cependant, l’organisation est en contact avec les différents paliers gouvernementaux.

«Nous voulons les tenir au courant de ce que nous faisons. S’il y a place à la collaboration, ce sera ça, peu importe si ça provient de la ville, du provincial ou du fédéral. Mais, nous ne sommes même pas encore à ce stade. Nous devons savoir exactement de quoi ça aura l’air et, lorsque nous aurons tous les faits devant nos yeux, nous saurons ce que le projet va coûter.»

https://www.ledroit.com/sports/hockey/se...lation&utm_campaign=manchette-principale

[golfguy9]

Did anyone catch Andlauer saying the arena "is going to take a while" at his media scrum during the Sens charity tournament last week?

It sounds like he now understands the glacial pace at which everything moves in this city.

Construction should take 3 years and we're probably 3 years away from it starting.

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by golfguy9

Did anyone catch Andlauer saying the arena "is going to take a while" at his media scrum during the Sens charity tournament last week?

It sounds like he now understands the glacial pace at which everything moves in this city.

Construction should take 3 years and we're probably 3 years away from it starting.

Plus 3 years of community opposition and procrastinating.

[zzptichka]

Dunno, just feels like Andlauer is in no rush to get it built, probably doesn't feel like taking on a Billion of debt.

[J.OT13]

I think it's just a very slow process. We'll get there.

[rocketphish]

NCC CEO says talks with Senators moving in right direction, but no timeline for shovels in the ground
It has been more than 10 months since Senators owner Michael Andlauer and his partners agreed to purchase 11 acres of land from the NCC

By Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 23, 2026 | Last updated 1 hour ago

The National Capital Commission is confident there are no roadblocks ahead that will halt the finalization of a deal for a new home for the Ottawa Senators at LeBreton Flats.

When that dream will become reality is anybody’s guess.

While the arena project wasn’t on the agenda in either the public or private portion of Tuesday’s annual public board of directors meeting at the NCC’s headquarters on Elgin Street, chief executive officer Tobi Nussbaum told the Ottawa Citizen after the morning session that the talks are continuing.

It has been more than 10 months since Senators owner Michael Andlauer and his partners agreed to purchase 11 acres of land from the NCC to build a new downtown arena, plus a surrounding ice district.

The Citizen has reported that the Senators had agreed to pay $37 million for the land when the sale is complete. Since then, both sides have been working to try to get the land formally in the hands of the Senators.

Nussbaum said on Tuesday talks are continuing and progress is being made.

“There is nothing worrying about the fact that it wasn’t on the agenda,” said Nussbaum. “The meetings between the teams continue on a regular basis. Their work, on the Senators’ side, (is) on the due diligence portion of this agreement. We’re also talking to them about the decontamination plan.

“So, there is, I assure you, a lot of work underway and a lot of discussion between the two teams to advance the file.”

There is a lot of work taking place behind the scenes to finalize the purchase agreement with the NCC.

Cyril Leeder, the club’s chief executive officer, predicted in an interview with the Citizen in January that it would take a calendar year to solve issues, which include decontaminating the site, working with Indigenous groups, designing the site and financing.

At the same time, Nussbaum said, the Senators are in discussions with the City of Ottawa because it has to be part of the planning and development of the new arena and the surrounding areas.

All these elements need to be addressed before the Senators can confirm a timeline for breaking ground.

But decontamination is a significant issue because it will likely be an expensive and lengthy process. Leeder has stated that the cleanup could begin in conjunction with the start of the construction on the new arena.

Leeder said that once the club puts shovels in the ground, the timeline to build a new rink is 34 months.

“The timeline is something that the Senators control and will be the lead on,” Nussbaum said. “It’s a reassuring point that I want to make, that the conversations are continuing, and the meetings are happening on a regular basis.

“And in terms of that exact next steps, in terms of getting to the puck drop, I really want to give the Senators a chance to be in control of that time frame and what they’re communicating.”

Andlauer said earlier this month that the area will be more than just an arena.

The talk among local developers is that there could be as many as six or seven structures on the site, including the arena. The original plan called for a hotel and a rink, but there will be housing as part of the project, which could potentially help pay for the cost of the rink.

Andlauer hinted that the Senators have big plans for the site.

“It’s not just an arena, it’s a whole development. The arena, actually, in my opinion, is going to be a small part of the whole development. I’m trying to do something special here,” said Andlauer.

“To me, it’s a passion. To me, it’s about sustainability … I’ve always run my businesses in a way where I don’t look at next quarters and financial results, it’s about where we’re going to be in five years; I used to always tell my employees that,” Andlauer said on June 5.

“That’s my only job, and I look at it from that standpoint, is what’s going to make Ottawa able to continue to have an NHL team and be proud of it, and have a hundred-plus million-dollar U.S. payroll and pay our fair share of taxes to all the governments.”

Nussbaum said the NCC has been working with the Senators on the site plan.

“They keep us informed. They certainly have let us know what their intentions are, what their plans are,” Nussbaum said. “I know there are meetings that take place with the City of Ottawa as well, which is going to have a role in all of this, of course, because of the infrastructure and the approvals, and so on.

“The good news is the conversations are continuing. I’m sure it’s frustrating for people who want to see more visible progress, but I can only say that there is nothing concerning, and the conversations are happening on a regular basis in a really constructive way.”

[email protected]

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

[rocketphish]

One year after LeBreton deal, Senators say new arena project is making progress
Though the news cycle has been quiet since the Senators and the NCC announced the deal on Aug. 10, 2025, a lot is happening behind the scenes.

By Bruce Garrioch,Ottawa Citizen
Published Aug 10, 2026 | Last updated 13 minutes ago | 9 minute read

It has been a calendar year since the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission entered into an agreement for the National Hockey League franchise to purchase 11 acres at LeBreton Flats to build a new home for the club.

Though the news cycle has been quiet since the Senators and the NCC announced the deal on Aug. 10, 2025, a lot is happening behind the scenes to make the dream of a more accessible arena for the people of Ottawa and Gatineau a reality.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and this project was never going to be finalized overnight. Still, the Senators and the NCC remain confident the purchase will be completed in the coming months, allowing work on the site to begin in earnest.

Speaking to the Ottawa Citizen in a telephone interview last Thursday to provide an update on LeBreton and mark the first anniversary of the announcement of the deal between the Senators and the NCC, Cyril Leeder, president of the Ottawa Senators said the project continues to move forward.

The Citizen has reported that Senators owner Michael Andlauer and his partners have agreed to pay $37 million for the 11 acres.

Leeder confirmed the Senators do have the option to buy four more acres, but they haven’t determined whether that will be the case yet.

“We’re making good progress,” Leeder said. “We’ve taken some steps forward and what we’re trying to do here is we’ve got a vision to build the next great gathering place at LeBreton Flats, and there’s a lot of planning, a lot of effort that has to go into that, and we’re happy where we are right now.

“Obviously, we’d like to move things along. The fans would like to move things along as quickly as possible. But we’re making progress and there’s a lot of work going on right now. There are meetings two, three or four a week taking place with various stakeholders, and we’re feeling like we’ve made progress.”

When will shovels go in the ground?

Your guess is as good as mine and, since Leeder doesn’t have a firm time frame yet, we’ll just tell you to be patient.

There is a lot of heavy lifting taking place and Leeder predicted there will be at least another five months of work on planning, which includes decontaminating the site, working with Indigenous groups, designing the site and financing.

All these need to be dealt with before the Senators can confirm a timeline for putting shovels in the ground. The Senators are also in regular discussions with the City of Ottawa because this is an urban development that will require planning for roadways and infrastructure.

Andlauer has a lot of development expertise in his partnership group — including Bill, Shawn and Neil Malhotra of Claridge Homes. Paul and Michael Paletta of Alinea Holdings, real estate developers from the Burlington area, who are also partners.

<more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-senators/one-year-lebreton-deal-arena-project-progress

[J.OT13]

• Video Link

Some good updates from the Citizen, and less so, CTV. Here's what I gather from it:

• Sens haven't actually purchased the land yet;
• Five more months of planning and potential update in the new year, so I hope maybe for the NCC's January Board Meeting;
• Option to buy 4 more acres, which I believe would give them the complete Albert District lands;
• Parking construction could start as they excavate for soil remediation;
• Full parking will be built first, with the arena and towers above grade built in phases;
• They know how much parking they want for the event centre, but are trying to figure out the needs for the residential and commercial components;
• Project will include the arena, a hotel, restaurants/bars and housing;
• They state UBS and Little Caesars as examples of what they'd like to see here;
• Four years in, we're still hearing that 5 years timeline.

Of note, Leeder talks about the full 15 acres on the CTV clip, so I assume they've already exercised the option to include that last piece. That would make it far easier to build a parking under the entire site, maybe two or three levels, which would probably provide 3000-4000 or so spots (when compared to the one level Lansdowne parking on a smaller footprint with 1400 or so spots). And at $50 a pop for the spots reserved to the arena, the parking could pay for itself within 5 to 10 years.

Having the full 15 acres of the Albert District also makes it far easier to plan around transit, including an enclosed path between the stations, with the arena in the middle.

Leeder pointing to UBS and Little Caesars gives me the impression they are looking at a design that would better integrate with the urban fabric and maybe be inspired by what was at LeBreton before the expropriations, so red brick over a flashy design like Edmonton and Calgary. They also like the player facilities at Little Caesars along with the integrated practice rink, so I imagine they'll want the same in Ottawa, and now that they potentially have all 15 acres, they can. Bayview triangle would be the best spot for imo.

[ponyboycurtis]

Given the scale of this project I dont see why they would balk at the extra 4 acres.