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Both proposals for LeBreton Flats redevelopment include NHL-calibre arena
Don Butler, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: December 15, 2015 | Last Updated: December 15, 2015 7:21 PM EST
The Ottawa Senators will play in a new downtown arena if the National Capital Commission accepts either of the two development proposals for LeBreton Flats submitted Tuesday.
An arena has always been at the centre of the proposal by Rendez Vous LeBreton, which includes Senators Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns Ottawa’s NHL team.
The only other team to file a detailed development plan by Tuesday’s deadline, DCDLS Group – formerly Devcore Group – had originally proposed multiple cultural institutions around a grande allée as its anchor attraction.
But a source with knowledge of the proposals said the DCDLS Group’s proposal has evolved, and also includes “an NHL-calibre arena” as well as cultural elements.
“It looks like the Sens can move downtown no matter what,” the source said.
The NCC invited four private-sector teams last February to develop detailed proposals for the development of a primary 9.3-hectare parcel of land across from the war museum and, if required, an optional 12.3-hectare parcel to the west.
NCC spokesman Nick Galletti said the other two pre-qualified teams – Claridge Homes and Focus Equities – gave no reasons for not submitting proposals.
Neil Malhotra, vice-president of Claridge Homes, declined to comment Tuesday on his company’s decision not to submit a proposal and officials from Victoria-based Focus Equities didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Only one of the two remaining teams was speaking at all on Tuesday. The Senators were silent, but Jean-Pierre Poulin, who owns Devcore – the Gatineau company that heads the revamped DCDLS Group – said it was “quite a surprise” that only two teams submitted proposals.
“I think it’s going to be very exciting for Ottawa and very exciting for Canada as well,” said Poulin, who admitted to being exhausted. “We’ve worked around the clock for four days. It’s a big project, so we’re tired today.”
Poulin said his team, which had included Montreal developer Broccolini, has acquired some new partners since February, but said confidentiality provisions imposed by the NCC prevented him from saying more for now.
He characterized his team as the underdog in the competition with Senators-led Rendez Vous LeBreton. “It’s like David and Goliath, and I’m the David, I’m the little guy,” he joked.
The Senators’ current arena, Canadian Tire Centre, opened nearly 19 years ago and will be at least 25 years old by the time a new downtown arena could be built. If the team were to remain there, it would require expensive repairs.
A downtown arena appeals to Senators’ owner Eugene Melnyk because it would be located on the city’s light rail transit line, eliminating the current crawl to Kanata along the Queensway. As well, its central location would make it easier to draw fans from Gatineau and Ottawa’s east end.
In its 52-page Request for Proposals, made public Tuesday, the NCC says demonstrating a proposal’s financial viability is “paramount” and submissions will be evaluated accordingly. Indeed, such things as the market rationale, ownership, financial capacity and business terms account for just over half of the 140-point evaluation process.
Achieving design excellence is another key objective, the NCC says. It is seeking a “memorable capital landmark” of the “highest quality of architecture and sustainable design.”
If the proposals by the two finalists fall short in those or other areas, it’s not inconceivable that the NCC could accept neither.
Asked for her reaction Tuesday, Catherine McKenna, the minister of the environment and MP for Ottawa Centre, said she hadn’t seen the proposals yet.
Because LeBreton Flats is the last big piece of undeveloped public land in the city core, she said, “we have to really think about what’s going to be put there.
“What I’ve always been very focused on is public consultation. I want to hear from the public and hear what they have to say.”
The NCC will spend the next few weeks reviewing the two submissions to determine if they meet the RFP’s mandatory requirements. If they do, they’ll be presented at a public consultation on Jan. 26 and 27 at the Canadian War Museum.
Until then, neither team can speak publicly about their proposals under the NCC’s confidentiality requirements. They can only speak to their proposals during the January public consultation. The prohibition on disclosure of information will be imposed again at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 28 and will remain in force until cabinet has selected a winning proposal.
The strict information controls are necessary to maintain the integrity of the process, the NCC’s Galletti said.
“Because we want to ensure that this process is done in the most fair way possible, we want each proponent to have the same amount of opportunity to present their projects to the public,” he said.
“If we don’t do it that way, it’s going to be basically whoever gets the most media attention is going to be able to sell their case early. And we don’t want that to happen,” Galletti said.
“We’re trying to make sure that we’re giving the public the best chance to have a complete picture of everything so they can make as much comment as they can without putting the fairness of the process at risk.”
Also on Tuesday, the NCC released an interim report by P1 Consulting, which was hired by the NCC to act as a “fairness monitor” for the LeBreton process.
“At this point in time, the principles of fairness, openness and consistency have, in our opinion, been maintained,” the report says. “Furthermore, no issues emerged during the process, of which we were aware, that would impair the fairness of this initiative.”
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