Senators, NCC expected to announce plans at 1 p.m. for new arena at LeBreton Flats

With a deadline to reach a deal on a new home the Ottawa Senators fast approaching, the NHL franchise and the National Capital Commission (NCC) will make an announcement Friday afternoon about their plans to develop LeBreton Flats.

Senators president Cyril Leeder and NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum are scheduled to offer an update on a "memorandum of understanding" between the Senators and the NCC at 1 p.m. EST. 

Ongoing efforts to build a new arena on LeBreton Flats got a boost when Michael Andlauer bought the team last year. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has also promoted the project as a way of revitalizing Ottawa's downtown.

In 2022, Senators-led Capital Sports Development Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding with the NCC to work toward bringing an arena to the largely vacant area just west of Ottawa's downtown core. 

The agreement came with built-in deadlines, but those were extended to allow negotiations to continue.

It's not clear what portion of the anticipated $1-billion project will be borne by the city and its taxpayers. Other questions, such as how Ottawa's beleaguered LRT service will serve a new entertainment district, remain to be answered.

A rebuilding Senators franchise is preparing for their upcoming NHL season with hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since 2017. 

Residents who have seen plans for a new arena come and go will likely be wary of this latest development.

Like other Canadian NHL teams including Edmonton and Calgary, the Senators are hoping a new arena will coincide with success on the ice.