Lansdowne 2.0 plan gets committee go-ahead

An Ottawa committee has given its blessing to the latest proposed overhaul of Lansdowne Park, paving the way for city council to approve it in principle and launch public consultations.

At the end of a eight-hour-plus meeting Friday, the city's finance and economic development committee voted in favour of a staff report on the plan, which was unveiled by Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) last week and has been dubbed "Lansdowne 2.0."

The proposal puts forward several major changes to the Glebe urban park, which has been struggling to draw visitors, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first phase would see the Civic Centre arena, home to the OSEG-owned Ottawa 67's and the Ottawa BlackJacks, relocated from its current spot under the north-side TD Place stands. It would be reduced to 5,500 seats, in part to draw mid-sized cultural events that currently bypass the nation's capital.

Once that's completed, the north-side stands would be replaced entirely, with the new stands seating roughly 3,000 fewer fans.

Towering over it all would be 1,200 new residential units, including both rental apartments and condos. Preliminary drawings show three highrise buildings dominating Lansdowne's centre, and OSEG has vowed 10 per cent of the units would be affordable.

The entire project will cost an estimated $330 million, but both OSEG and city staff say it will pay for itself through an elaborate financing structure and ultimately be revenue-neutral.

Friday's vote allows council to, among other things, approve $8 million in spending on the next steps — which include beginning the rezoning process, seeking bids for the air rights to the towers, conducting traffic and heritage studies and launching broader