Mayor Mark Sutcliffe excited to see next steps for Senators at LeBreton Flats
While the Senators and NCC have a deal on 11 acres of land at LeBreton Flats, Ottawa's mayor reiterated the city won't be using any taxpayer money to help fund an arena.
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Mark Sutcliffe views it as a step in the right direction for the city of Ottawa, but knows there is a lot of heavy lifting to be done before the dream of a downtown arena becomes reality.
The Ottawa mayor was pleased to see a hurdle cleared when the Senators and the National Capital Commission announced on Monday that the National Hockey League team had agreed to purchase 11 acres of land at LeBreton Flats.
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Postmedia reported Monday the purchase price is believed to be just north of $30 million, according to NHL sources. We were told on Tuesday that once completed the sale of the land will be worth more than $35 million.
This news came 11 months after the Senators and the NCC confirmed they had reached an agreement for the club to buy the land. Senators owner Michael Andlauer and Cyril Leeder, the team’s chief executive officer, are bullish on the idea of being closer to the city centre.
Speaking to the Ottawa Citizen by phone Tuesday, Sutcliffe stated he was pleased to see the Senators and NCC agree on a purchase price for the land, but reiterated the city wouldn’t be using any taxpayer money to help fund an arena.
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“It’s exciting news. I want to congratulate Michael Andlauer, Cyril Leeder and the Senators and the team at the NCC because they worked very hard and very long on these negotiations. It’s exciting to see them reach this step,” Sutcliffe said.
“As they underlined (Monday), it’s one step in a long process, and I look forward to hearing more details and seeing what happens next. There is no way to move forward unless the Senators have a piece of land to work with. Now the next part can begin.
“The last time people thought this was a done deal, there was going to be a new arena, and they were wondering when shovels would go into the ground. We’re not at that stage yet. They’ve purchased a piece of land, that’s exciting, but now the hard work begins.”
That hard work will include planning out the site, which will not only include an events centre, but is also expected to have 2,200 housing spaces, a hotel and a restaurant/bar district to help make it a destination for people in the city.
The Senators also have to get their financing in place to pay for the rink after spending the past 30 years at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata. Andlauer has stated publicly he will need help from all three levels of government — federal, provincial and the city — to make this work.
The last time people thought this was a done deal, there was going to be a new arena, and they were wondering when shovels would go into the ground. We're not at that stage yet.
Mark Sutcliffe Ottawa Mayor
Sutcliffe reiterated on Tuesday that he didn’t want any taxpayer money to fund this project. But there are ways the city can assist.
“We play a role in every development project that happens in the city of Ottawa. So, yes, absolutely, there is a role for us to play,” Sutcliffe said. “We have not been a party to any of this to this point. We weren’t at the table, and nor should we have been, for any of the discussions between the NCC and the Senators. That was between them.
“I look forward to hearing the details as the Senators develop a plan. We will see where that leads, and we’ll be ready to work with the Senators on the site plan, zoning, transportation, public transit and all of the different elements of the infrastructure that will be needed to make this move forward.”
Sutcliffe said he had been kept apprised of negotiations throughout by the Senators.
Leeder has previously cited the structure used to negotiate a Public Private Partnership (P3S) for the Bell Sensplex and the Richcraft Sensplex. He said those had been successful and had indicated there may be room for that kind of negotiation here.
Sutcliffe said it was too early to speculate on whether a P3 would work in this scenario.
“It depends what it is,” Sutcliffe said. “P3 is such a broad and general term that it’s hard to know exactly what that could look like. I am always ready to talk about anything that will benefit the city of Ottawa and the residents of Ottawa.”
Sutcliffe plans to sit down with Andlauer and Leeder shortly to discuss the next steps in this process. The city also wants to find out what the plan is for the 75 acres where the Canadian Tire Centre sits because it will be either sold or redeveloped by the Senators
“The Canadian Tire Centre has been a huge economic driver for Kanata for 30 years now,” Sutcliffe said. “It’s been a job creator, great for restaurants and the community there. We can’t overlook the fact that, if the Senators, someday in the future, are no longer going to be playing there, and all those big events aren’t going to be coming to the Canadian Tire Centre, we need to have a plan for that site.
“We need to make sure the economy of Kanata is protected, that the jobs are replaced and that there is something else exciting happening there that will be an economic driver for the west end of the city.”
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