OTTAWA — A new downtown arena for the Ottawa Senators has sometimes seemed like a more distant hope than a Stanley Cup.
On Monday, one of those dreams took a leap towards reality as the Senators signed an agreement to purchase approximately 11 acres at LeBreton Flats from the National Capital Commission (NCC). The site, just a couple of kilometres from Parliament Hill, is slated for an arena to replace the Canadian Tire Centre in suburban Kanata, one of the older arenas in the NHL.
It is also one of the furthest from the city centre. Inconvenient for fans, to say the least.
“We are pleased to reach an agreement of purchase and sale with the NCC to take the next step in this process,” Senators team president Cyril Leeder said. “There are still many more hurdles to clear, and we look forward to working with the NCC and other stakeholders to achieve our shared vision of creating an event centre at LeBreton Flats that can be enjoyed by our Ottawa-Gatineau community.”
In the past, the previous ownership of the team attempted to accomplish this feat but never managed to land a deal. In less than two years, Senators owner Michael Andlauer and CEO Cyril Leeder have done so: a feather in a red Senators cap for ownership (for now).
The details of the land purchase were not disclosed by the Senators, but The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie reported that the land was sold for approximately $30 million CAD. Interestingly, the 11 acres is more land than was widely expected to be sold to the Senators. There are likely conditions set by the NCC for the utilization of the land. The plan is for the Senators to build a “major events centre” (translation: a new arena) in addition to 2000 new housing units and new retail and commercial space.
So, to answer the question many Senators fans are asking today: Is it confirmed that Ottawa is getting a new arena at LeBreton Flats?
Unfortunately, the answer for now is no.
There are still many steps left in the process.
First, the soil at LeBreton Flats is contaminated and needs to be cleaned and cleared.
However, what might be the most fascinating storylines moving forward will be the financing of the arena, and of course, the arena’s design. The mayor of Ottawa, Mark Sutcliffe, has publicly stated on numerous occasions that the city will not be “writing a big cheque” to the Senators to pay for a new arena.
Many teams across the NHL have looked for significant public funding when building new arenas. Just look west to Edmonton and Calgary, where local and provincial governments helped finance new arenas.
Andlauer recently sold his Andlauer Healthcare Group for $1.6 billion US or $2.2 billion CAD. But even for a billionaire, the money for an arena isn’t sitting in a change jar in his mansion. He could find other private sector partners, but it seems possible he would also look to governments for loans or tax concessions if not direct support.
With the purchase of the land in the LeBreton Flats by the Senators, these questions await:
Will Andlauer foot the bill for a new arena? Will the City of Ottawa provide any financial support to the Senators and/or does the province get involved?
At the moment, none of this is clear, and it will have to be before shovels go in the ground.
As for the design, Andlauer has mentioned Quebec City’s arena as a possible model. The 10-year-old Vidéotron Centre in Quebec City is an 18,259-seat arena with immaculate views from every part, with a beautiful jumbotron. Nevertheless, expect a very nice, shiny new building for the Senators to inhabit if and when they move to LeBreton Flats.
Ottawa’s wait for a downtown arena has gone on too long. For all the charms of the Canadian Tire Centre, the commute for Senators fans living anywhere except the city’s furthest west end can be 45 minutes — and more than an hour from neighbouring Gatineau, Quebec. There is no easy way to take public transit to games, and getting out of the parking lot when games end is a nightmare.
At LeBreton Flats, the flawed but currently running light rail system has a station no more than a two-minute walk away. There’s plenty of downtown parking after office hours, and the roads run in every direction from there. Much different than the Canadian Tire Centre, where practically the entire arena is squeezed onto the 417 highway going east after a game.
The Senators want to be “best in class,” according to Andlauer, and the team does look exciting with the likes of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson primed for playoff fortunes in the future. The ambition of excellence shouldn’t just apply to the team they put on the ice but also to the arena that houses them.
Senators fans are used to disappointment and pessimism when thinking about a new downtown arena, but the purchase of land at LeBreton Flats should give fans some much-needed optimism.