LeBreton Flats 2.0 (RendezVous LeBreton) | Cancelled

[phil235]

Originally Posted by Vixx

As for the Senators, deep down I wonder what this means in the long run for the organization. It's clear Melnyk is a dysfunctional narcissist who has had financial trouble for years now and is barely clinging on to the team. The NHL is dead set in getting Ottawa to move downtown and I don't think Bettman is going to let this just blow off into the wind. I wouldn't be surprised if he and the BOG have a plot to corner him in and force him to sell the team.

In Elliotte Friedman's 31 Thoughts blog, he draws the conclusion that the NHL already has a plan in place for moving forward, and they are confident in their plan.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by phil235

Sure, there is an element of getting information on their positions out to the public. However unlike Gomeshi, there are hundreds of millions of dollars at stake for the partners.

Also unlike Gomeshi, the legal claims matter here. Whereas Gomeshi's claim was never intended to proceed, as he knew that he was covered by a collective agreement and had to go through the grievance process, Melnyk and Trinity need a potentially viable claim to get leverage over the other party.

It seems doubtful a judge would find there was ever a valid business there so there might not be much in the way of actual losses. It is also unclear whether any binding contracts were signed by either party.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by phil235

In Elliotte Friedman's 31 Thoughts blog, he draws the conclusion that the NHL already has a plan in place for moving forward, and they are confident in their plan.

If they did have a plan, they blew it by delaying the execution. The ship has sailed. It's done. Nothing can be done in a month to save this.

[waterloowarrior]

DCDLS pushing for NCC to negotiate with them instead of going to new RFP

[phil235]

Originally Posted by acottawa

It seems doubtful a judge would find there was ever a valid business there so there might not be much in the way of actual losses. It is also unclear whether any binding contracts were signed by either party.

I don’t disagree. Melnyk would have to show a breach of some term of the agreement, or that a fiduciary duty existed and that duty was breached. To get any benefit from his claim, it has to be credible enough that Trinity sees some risk. Not sure he cleared that bar.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

If they did have a plan, they blew it by delaying the execution. The ship has sailed. It's done. Nothing can be done in a month to save this.

Friedman is writing after the NCC decision. Perhaps the NHL plan involves Devcore.

[Kitchissippi]

Maybe Moose will take on the LeBreton development as the flagship of their “Linked Localities”. They seem to have access to endless streams of money.

[J.OT13]

I think giving it to DCDLS would be a mistake. Unless they are willing to make some MAJOR changes to their plan, we'll end up with a pretty terrible space in the heart of the capital.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I think giving it to DCDLS would be a mistake. Unless they are willing to make some MAJOR changes to their plan, we'll end up with a pretty terrible space in the heart of the capital.

Devcore has the same problem that RVL had. There was no actual plan to get any of the amenities (except maybe the auto pavilion). They basically treated the process like a student competition. Unless they have made any progress in the last three years, the NCC should tell them to take a hike.

The question I think the NCC should ask is why the RfP didn’t attract major players. No Brookfield, no Concord, no pension plans. This is not a project for a small company.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

I heard a report on the radio--News1310---that Devcore is saying that the NCC is legally bound to negotiate with them now that the RVL one has been rejected.. I do not what document says that the NCC is legally bound to do so, but Devcore says that they have such a document.

[J.OT13]

We don't want another situation like we had years ago where the losing bid ended up winning by default. Specially not when they had, and continue to, threaten legal action. I'm surprised Desmarais and Laliberté are still in this (if true) considering how Poulin has been acting over the past few years.

[Horus]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

I heard a report on the radio--News1310---that Devcore is saying that the NCC is legally bound to negotiate with them now that the RVL one has been rejected.. I do not what document says that the NCC is legally bound to do so, but Devcore says that they have such a document.

I'm not sure what the DCDLS group is trying to accomplish by going public with this not-so-shaded legal threat. Doesn't really seem like a good way to get the negotiations going.

[rocketphish]

Melnyk-LeBreton debacle was marked by the debate we never had

Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: December 19, 2018

RendezVous LeBreton met its official end in the Ottawa style Wednesday, with an unexpected, after-hours press release from the National Capital Commission.

Merry bloody Christmas.

Now what? It looks as though the way forward will not involve Eugene Melnyk. Maybe it won’t involve an NHL arena at all. The unpredictable owner of the Ottawa Senators suggested Tuesday that he may just toodle back to Kanata, leaving behind the scorched wreckage of the dream to bring a pro hockey venue to 53 acres of downtown tumbleweed.

YOU build it, and I will maybe come, bearing no gifts, was pretty much his last pitch.

On the surface, it was a ridiculous idea. Why would a consortium, of unknown makeup, spend $650 million to build an arena and let the Ottawa Senators play for nothing, year-in, year-out? Well, it speaks to the completely mad state of affairs that surround the Flats plan as it comes to an inglorious end.

In any case, it looks as though no one was listening anyway. By signalling the end now, one imagines the NCC wants to clear the air by the time its new CEO starts in February.\\

It is probably best that Melnyk step permanently away from LeBreton. His involvement has, according to lawsuits, helped squander the past four years of effort.

Privately, Melnyk has been raising the spectre of public financing. This is not a crazy idea. It has been done in cities across Canada and around North America, including in Edmonton, where the new arena is described as a cornerstone in an admirable act of city building.

(It might help to remember, too, that TD Place (stadium and arena ) are city-owned facilities.)

You do wonder why Melnyk has not engaged the broader community in a conversation about whether funding from three levels of government should be on the table, to create an arena that would be ours, not his. The hockey team plays 41 regular-season home games, after all. Would the arena, or “entertainment centre,” not deliver public benefits the rest of the year?

It doesn’t matter that Mayor Jim Watson isn’t a fan of public financing. It doesn’t start or end there. There will be other mayors. There will not be another LeBreton Flats.

Neither do I think the public is totally close-minded to the idea. You know, I only take the bus when my car is in the shop, and this occurs with alarming frequency, but I support the spending of billions on public transit I will hardly use. I don’t visit the library as much as I used to, but I support my tax dollars being used to build a new central branch and support all the others.

We have national art galleries and museums that lots of people never go to. The average person might be at the National Arts Centre once or twice a year. Wonder who paid for that high-brow funhouse? We all pay for schools long after we’re through the system. It’s part of funding a civil society.

The point is, there is another way to view the proposition of a publicly supported arena than “Senior on Fixed Income Forced to Help Pay Bobby Ryan’s Salary.”

I would throw in one other factor. In the spring of 2019, the $2.1-billion LRT system is to open, with stations at Pimisi and Bayview, and a lot of nothing in between. Can no reasonable case be mounted that it requires public financing to make something happen there?

But we’ve never really had the debate, have we? (It would have been useful, and certainly fun, to have had a referendum on this question in the October municipal election, but alas, the idea had no champion. The city spent $3.5 billion in 2018 — would we even notice $50 million thrown at a civic arena?)

So, where are we today?

One supposes the National Capital Commission is left with a set of bad options: pull the Band-Aid off, have a good cry, and start over in 2019 with a red face and a blank slate; proceed with an adapted RendezVous plan that leaves a spot for a future arena; turn to another bidder/group that will find a way to build a rink and a neighbourhood in a Melnyk-less world.

In any case, we’ve lost our minds. Maybe 15 years ago, the LeBreton discussion was about how to build a great neighbourhood with cool attractions by the river.

Now it’s all about building an arena we don’t really need for a man who doesn’t seem to want it.

To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-726-5896 or email [email protected]
Twitter.com/kellyegancolumn

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...d-does-it-clear-or-block-the-way-forward

[rocketphish]

'LeBreton Re-Imagined,' revisited: Devcore wants its shot at LeBreton

Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: December 20, 2018



More than two-and-a-half years after it lost out to the National Capital Commission’s preferred bid in the competition to redevelop LeBreton Flats, the Devcore Canderel DLS Group sees a second chance at implementing its vision for the downtown area.

In statement released Thursday, Devcore announced its belief that the NCC is “legally obliged” to negotiate with the group now that its negotiations with the preferred proponent, RendezVous LeBreton Group, have been severed.

“DCDLS is prepared to enter into such negotiations,” the group said, noting that “practically speaking, a decision to re-start the process would potentially lead to years of delay, the risk of a fragmented development plan and potentially to no development at all.”

In the statement, Devcore expressed its willingness to “modify or drop” the elements of its original proposal “that may not have met all of the commission’s aspirations.”

Now seems an appropriate time to revisit that proposal, titled Canadensis LeBreton Re-Imagined.

Over three phases and 15 years, Devcore imagined the site would be built to include residential rental units, an 18,500-seat arena, an automotive museum, a YMCA and daycare, a French elementary school, two seniors’ living residences, Ottawa’s Central Library, pavilions featuring an aquarium and urban beach, green space, retail and more. The proposal revolved around “sustainability” and “connectivity” to surrounding sites and transportation routes that exist in the area, such as the Canadian War Museum, the O-Train and bike paths.

In early 2016, the NCC hosted in-person and online public consultations to gather feedback on proposals for LeBreton Flats by Devcore and the RendezVous LeBreton Group.

According an NCC report on the results, respondents noted the amount of greenspace and public space in the Devcore proposal as “strong points.” They felt the same of its amenities, including a grocery store, library and YMCA, and the “Canadensis Walk,” a sort of showcase pathway and public space that would wind through the site.

As for areas that could be improved, the public identified the proposed car museum as “unaligned with the development’s overall focus on the environment.” And they called for even more green and public space. Concerns were also raised that, “if successful, this proponent would face an Ottawa Senators hockey team that is unwilling to re-locate from Kanata.”

The proposal underwent evaluation by a five-member NCC committee, which ranked RendezVous LeBreton’s bid “clearly ahead” of Devcore’s, though the reasons for this have not been released.

In Thursday’s statement, Devcore noted that its initial proposal included a “major events centre” — the 18,500 seat arena — “when and if an agreement could be entered into with a prospective long-term tenant.”

“We are also fully prepared if it is in the interest of the project and the NCC, under the right conditions, to include either or both of the partners in RLG in an appropriate way within our group.”

— With files from James Bagnall

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...sited-devcore-wants-its-shot-at-lebreton

[YOWflier]

Devcore deserves a shot as original runner up. They've already formally indicated their willingness to address NCC's concerns with the plan and make adjustments "to any extent possible". They've also formally and confidently indicated that their financials are solid, so, let them (make them) prove it.

[Radster]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I think giving it to DCDLS would be a mistake. Unless they are willing to make some MAJOR changes to their plan, we'll end up with a pretty terrible space in the heart of the capital.

How so? Why are people so harsh towards the Devcore bid? I don`t think its worse than the Trinity one at all. Trinity is mainly condos, YAAAAAYYY!!! Devcore had variety as on top of a new arena, they also include a YMCA, daycare, a French elementary school, grocery store, two seniors’ living residences, pavilions featuring an aquarium and urban beach, green space, retail and covering the LRT. Can it be improved? Sure! Hence why negotiations make sense. Is it a garbage unrealistic bid? It is not, so lets not trash it.

I agree with Devcore, if the RFP stipulated what they claim it did, then the city must now negotiate with them. The only part that is missing is whether the RFP stipulated how long the bids will remain valid for. Usually in Fed. Gvt. procurement, bids are valid for 120 days, sometimes 180 days, or more its always stipulated in the RFP and depends on the complexity of the RFP. A contract must be signed prior to the bid validity end date, or the bid validity can also be extended if the bidders agree. In this case, its been over a year since the RFP closed, or has it been 2 years now? Anyway, has bid validity been extended? If not, and bid validity dates have passed, than Devcore`s claim does not apply and the city is correct in moving to a new solicitation process.

[pattherat]

Originally Posted by ac888yow

Devcore deserves a shot as original runner up. They've already formally indicated their willingness to address NCC's concerns with the plan and make adjustments "to any extent possible". They've also formally and confidently indicated that their financials are solid, so, let them (make them) prove it.

I agree. Giving them the opportunity to negotiate as RVL did means that they can adjust their proposal in areas. There is nothing saying the original distribution of facilities is locked in stone.

[daud]

I know its gritty but seeing these old photos of lebreton make me wish it was never torn down:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/le...VZr9Z5p4P5Kpq1QvgNtGV_ojwg_AH8ntno2BfbJk

[J.OT13]

If the NCC is legally obligated to negotiate with DCDLS, then have at it. They have better be ready to make major improvements.

Responding to Radster, I'm sure some people are of the opinion that the DCDLS bid was great, but I think it's safe to say that the majority of us, including the NCC, thought it was highly unrealistic, imposed too much segregation between the public uses and featured too much dead space.

In terms of your list, the French Public School has moved on to the City's Gladstone Station re-development, the library (not on your list, but worth mentioning) has moved a few blocks away, securing a grocery store, senior's residence and student housing is not much of an achievement considering the size of the project, and would have more than likely been included in RVL's project had it gone through, retail and greenspace was also part of RVL and DCDLS DID NOT cover the LRT, saying it was "impossible", when RVL won praise for that feature.

[McC]

Originally Posted by Horus

I'm not sure what the DCDLS group is trying to accomplish by going public with this not-so-shaded legal threat. Doesn't really seem like a good way to get the negotiations going.

I mean, if everyone else ties an onion to their belt, you just assume it's the style at the time, and likely do the same, whether you like the smell or not, right?