Nothing like cool LeBreton Flats news for Senators on hot summer day

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This was one small step for the Senators, one big step for the National Capital Commission and, of course, a huge step for the city of Ottawa.

There is nothing like a hot, sunny Monday afternoon in August, when hockey couldn’t be any further from the mind, for the Senators and the NCC to announce they’ve reached an agreement for the National Hockey League team to purchase 11 acres of land at LeBreton Flats.

Both sides were hopeful they’d have this agreement in place by the end of the year, but as Postmedia reported last month, the two sides were trying to fast-track the deal once they agreed on “fair market value” for the land.

We’ve been down this road before between the NCC and the Senators, but the project has never been closer to happening with the two sides agreeing on a sale price that sources tell Postmedia is just north of $30 million for the club to build a new rink.

This time, it feels like Senators owner Michael Andlauer and his partners will be able to get this project across the finish line after club president Cyril Leeder helped to get this agreement in place.

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, are also partners.

This process started in 2014 when the NCC started searching for a development partner at LeBreton, seeking “an architecturally stunning anchor institution of regional, national or international importance.”

Since then, there have been highs, lows and several false starts, which included the late Eugene Melnyk and partner John Ruddy launching lawsuits against each other after they were unable to come to a partnership agreement in November 2018.

Before Melnyk passed away in March 2022, he opted to sign off on another bid by the club to build a rink at LeBreton Flats.

The club was given preferred bidder status in June 2022, and the possibility of a new rink was a big reason why the Senators sold for $950 million U.S. in 2023. Prospective buyers not only wanted the team, but they were aware there was a real estate play as well.

No, LeBreton isn’t downtown, but it’s close enough that it will draw people to the area, and if the rink is surrounded by a vibrant neighborhood that includes restaurants, bars, homes and gathering places, then fans will be flocking to be part of it.

The Senators will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Tire Centre with a visit by the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.

There is nothing wrong with the current rink, and Andlauer has committed to continuing to make upgrades because there is a lot of hockey left to be played in Kanata before the Senators pack their bags to move into their new home.

We know that the Senators likely won’t be playing in the new rink before the 2032-33 campaign, but a move closer to downtown and better access to the market in Gatineau will be a huge boost for businesses in downtown Ottawa that badly need it.

This agreement should also serve notice to officials at OC Transpo to get their act together with the troubled light rail transit system. Two stations will serve LeBreton Flats, and the Senators will need to be able to get 17,000 to 18,000 people out smoothly without hiccups.

Of course, everybody is wondering how the Senators are going to pay the more than $1 billion for the new rink.

That’s a good question, but we’re going to have wait to get the answer because it won’t happen any time soon.

We know that Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has stated he’ll do anything he can to assist the Senators with this project, but he doesn’t want public money involved, and we completely understand that.

But there are ways that the city, the province of Ontario and the federal government will be able to assist the Senators to get a new rink built.

Leeder told Postmedia last September that Andlauer and the Senators have no desire to have the taxpayers fund a new arena. They understand there’s no appetite for that to happen, but they do believe there is room for negotiation with Sutcliffe about possible scenarios.

Leeder has cited the structure used to negotiate a Public Private Partnership (P3S) for the Bell Sensplex and the Richcraft Sensplex. He said those have been successful.

That’s also a scenario the city negotiated with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group for Lansdowne Park.

There is still a lot of work to be done before the Senators can be 100 per cent certain they are moving downtown, but the news announced on Monday is something that has been a long time coming.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

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