The ball is in the court of the Ottawa Senators for the next steps at LeBreton Flats.
The Senators made a significant move towards building a new arena on Aug. 11, when they reached an agreement for the purchase and sale of land parcels totalling approximately 11 acres at LeBreton Flats from the National Capital Commission.
Tobi Nussbaum, the NCC’s chief executive officer, made only a short mention of the deal to start the meeting Tuesday while updating the board on activities from the past three months, including the agreement with Capital Sports and Development Inc. (CSDI) on the purchase of the land.
“A key milestone was our agreement of purchase and sale with CSDI, advancing the vision for an arena district anchored by a major events centre at LeBreton Flats,” Nussbaum said Tuesday.
“This transaction moves into the next phase of the project with shared commitments to unlock the site’s full potential.”
The key parts towards getting shovels in the ground are up to the Senators to work in consultation with officials from the NCC. Though the two sides have an agreement, the land hasn’t changed hands yet and they haven’t set a final date for that to happen.
This transaction moves into the next phase of the project with shared commitments to unlock the site’s full potential
Tobi Nussbaum NCC chief executive officer
“The agreement of purchase and sale has been signed,” Nussbaum told Postmedia at the news conference after the board meeting. “The closing date still has to be (set). It’s not officially CSDI’s yet, so there’s still a bit of due diligence that has to be done.
“There is a huge interest on both sides to continue to work together on this partnership, even after the closing date. We’re going to be neighbours on this property and we see the arena as being a catalyst for development on the site.”
The NCC is focused on other areas around the land purchased by Ottawa owner Michael Andlauer and his partners now that deal with the Senators is all but complete.
What the NCC is trying to do is help the Senators have a better idea of what the areas around the rink will look like. This is all part of the LeBreton Flats Concepts Master Plan that was approved by the NCC in 2021 and has been a focus of work since then.
The Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission announced in August that they have reached an agreement for the purchase and sale of land parcels totalling approximately 11 acres at LeBreton Flats.
In 2022, the NCC, working with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, selected Dream LeBreton to acquire the library parcel and a community with 608 new rental housing units, 41 per cent of which will be affordable housing. That project is well underway.
“We’re really happy with that real estate deal,” Nussbaum said.
In 2024, the NCC signed a deal with Canadian developers Avenue 31 Capital Inc. and Cogir to build 900 new homes on part of the Flats Phase of the site across from the Canadian War Museum. That project is currently in the process of getting municipal approvals.
“We’ve got the agreement of purchase and sale with the Senators, and then there are more phases coming,” Nussbaum said. “You’ll recall from the master concept plan that we have an Aqueduct district, which is adjacent to just north of the existing open aqueduct. So we’re turning our attention to that, and what does a development of that area look like?
“We’ve got other areas, other lands we’re working with the City of Ottawa on what will be across from what will be the new library on Albert Street. So it’s really looking at continuing with the advancement of the master concept plan on many different sites.”
The Senators have internally been examining concepts of what the arena and surrounding districts will look like, but they hope to unveil their intentions for the site to the public before the end of the calendar year.
The expectation is that the new building will include a practice rink that is attached, along with 2,000 housing units and a hotel. There will also be an Ice District with bars and restaurants.
“I think the Senators, for their part, are excited that we’re continuing the development on other parcels, so that we’re building close to the same time and really achieving the success of the whole project,” Nussbaum said.
Related
Sources told Postmedia that the Senators have agreed to pay $37 million for the land, which is located just 10 minutes west of Parliament Hill. The news represented a significant, necessary step, but now both sides have some heavy lifting to do to make it a reality.
The next steps in the project include zoning, design and approvals, as well as decontamination of the land parcels along with negotiations with Indigenous groups.
The Senators also need to get their financing in place for this project because a new arena will have a price tag of more than $1.2 billion.
People want to know when shovels are going to go in the ground, but nobody on either side can predict when that may happen because it’s too early in the process. The belief in National Hockey League circles is that the Senators will play opening night at the new rink at the start of the 2032-33 campaign.
Nussbaum wouldn’t get into the details of the agreement, but it should be noted that the whole site may not have to be completely cleaned up before construction can begin. That is something that could take place in conjunction with the start of the new arena and surrounding areas.
“There will be work needed to be done on remediation,” Nussbaum said.