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Originally Posted by EdFromOttawa
I've just noticed that the Ottawa bits tend to get glossed over around these parts
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Lansdowne Park redevelopment impressive as it rises
Tim Baines, Ottawa Sun September 30, 2013
Rising up out of the ashes of what was an eyesore -- a concrete jungle -- the new Lansdowne Park will be amazing.
During a tour of Lansdowne on Monday, several of Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group's partners, Mayor Jim Watson and some of his councillors and CFL commissioner Mark Cohon stood in the south-side stands -- in the midst of electrical cords, concrete, scaffolding, a fleet of machinery and a big pile of dirt in the end zone.
A good word to sum up the stadium: Impressive.
The tour included a stop in what will be the locker room for the CFL's RedBlacks and the NASL's Fury FC.
You could picture it. And in less than a year, it will all be a reality when the players charge out of a tunnel located in the south-side stands in the middle of the field.
There are plenty of people who should be on a list of thank-you cards. Near the top of that list is Cohon, whose vision of the CFL has long included Ottawa -- even through some huge headaches, including a battle with the Friends of Lansdowne.
"I'm obviously very excited, pretty emotional actually knowing that this is a project we've been working on since I became commissioner, really since 2007," said Cohon. "I'm excited for the fans. The fans here deserve it. The fans across the country deserve it. People are going to blown away by the scope of this and how beautiful it is.
"When I think of the 100th Grey Cup, it was one of my highlights of my time as commissioner. I envision that the coin toss and kickoff here will be another (highlight). Tens of thousands of people, roaring and clapping, it's going to be a fun time."
Ottawa's mayor was another of those who fought tooth and nail to ensure the Lansdowne redevelopment went ahead.
"It was in February that I dropped a couple pennies into the column at the base of this building and now look at what we've accomplished several months later," said Watson.
"It's remarkable what's been achieved across the site since we kicked off construction a little more than a year ago.
"When you look back, it's really nice to see the structure take form and realize within a year we'll see football, soccer, the return of junior hockey and more greenspace than this park has ever seen. It's nice to see the progress we've made over a relatively short period of time.
"In the past, you needed a ticket before you entered the grounds of Lansdowne. There was nothing really here except paid events -- trade shows, a hockey game or a football game. Now, people can come, toss around a football or a frisbee, go shopping, have a coffee, see a movie, go to a sporting event. It becomes much more of a community than it ever was before."
Monday's official topping off ceremony signified completion of the concrete structure for the south-side stands.
Watson, Cohon and OSEG's Roger Greenberg stood alongside Pomerleau Inc. senior vice-president Francis Pomerleau with trowels in hand.
On the horizon will be construction of the Veil, an iconic wooden surround that will rise up over the stands. It's all very exciting.
RedBlacks president Jeff Hunt is certainly on board with what the rapidly rising development brings to the city.
"It was a long process," he said. "People asked me many times, 'How do you keep going?' This is the reason. This exact image, thinking about this stadium coming up and what that's going to mean is why we stayed the course. It's really rewarding and gratifying to see it come together. It's a special day."
Photos by Errol McGihon/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency
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I didn't realize there is still some steel structure to go up on the north ends of each side (to extend the lower sections further north)
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