We have a revived LeBreton Flats arena in the works for the Ottawa Senators (NHL), as the team and the National Capital Commission unveiled a memorandum of understanding for a land lease agreement covering a new event center.
Technically, the MOU is between the NCC and Capital Sports Development Inc. (CSDI), a group led by the Senators and marks the beginning of the development negotiations for a new LeBreton Flats arena. The development site identified in CSDI’s proposal is located between the Bayview and Pimisi O-Train stations, within a five- to 10-minute walk of either station. It is a short distance to downtown Ottawa and Gatineau, Canada’s Parliament Buildings, the Canadian War Museum, a new library under construction and a wide range of local amenities.
The Senators are proposing to build an NHL-level hockey arena and events venue surrounded by mixed-use development located on a 7.5-acre parcel of land on Albert Street between Preston Street and City Centre Avenue. This site was identified for a potential major facility in the 2021 LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan. The project is still in the early stages and will be developed further over the coming months. A final land lease agreement covering commercial terms, as well as clear targets related to sustainability, affordable housing and benefits for the Algonquin Nation, is expected the fall of 2023, with construction launching in fall 2024.
Capital Sports Development also announced its partners on the project:
- Sterling Project Development (SPD), a real estate management and advisory group experienced in working with professional sports teams on sports facilities and mixed-use development. SPD recently completed UBS Arena at Belmont Park, the new home of the New York Islanders NHL franchise.
- Populous, a global sports-architecture firm with a long list of projects; most recently Populous has been part of Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Vidéotron Centre in Québec City, T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and GEODIS Park, new home of MLS’s Nashville SC.
- Tipping Point Sports, a boutique sports finance and advisory firm focusing on public–private partnerships for sports-anchored, mixed-use developments.
- Live Nation, a worldwide entertainment company that produces concerts, festivals and other events.
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