Sens to build arena at LeBreton Flats

[Coconuts]

 

 

[Bob Long]

this will be great for the city, its a very nice and small downtown and this will be a great spot. 

[Warhippy]

Solid place for this.  Not sure I like that it is beside the war museum myself, but this is like 4 blocks away form where I lived in university and it's the perfect location compared to Kanata.  Will need some pedestrian style overpasses or the like but will be a great location.

 

Hoping they crush the seating capacity because the team will need a minimum of 18k+ before boxes and with it being downtown attendance will be through the roof now and a premium.

[DrJockitch]

Have always enjoyed my time in Ottawa. Great restaurants, lots to do for a small city. 
‘Good for them finally getting an arena where people can go. 

[VforTheCurseEndsHere]

As an Ottawan, I really hope this happens. Where the arena is currently located is absolutely insane. 

[VforTheCurseEndsHere]

8 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

Have always enjoyed my time in Ottawa. Great restaurants, lots to do for a small city. 
‘Good for them finally getting an arena where people can go. 

 

As a person who runs a tourism business in Ottawa, this is great to hear! It is truly a great city to visit and live in. 

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

38 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

Solid place for this.  Not sure I like that it is beside the war museum myself, but this is like 4 blocks away form where I lived in university and it's the perfect location compared to Kanata.  Will need some pedestrian style overpasses or the like but will be a great location.

 

Looking at the distances involved, it's almost like if the Canucks were previously playing in Burns Bog and have now moved to Griffiths Way.  Putting it in tourist district central (with all the hotels nearby) will definitely help with bumping up the attendance figures, and vice versa having the games there will better support the downtown Ottawa revenues.

 

The only concern I would have is that being so close to the Ottawa River, they'd better hope they don't find themselves in a Saddledome situation where half the seats in the lower bowl got flood-damaged due to the Elbow River saying, "Hi, I'm high!"

[Coconuts]

Key takeaways from the the press conference this morning, as per reddit

 

• 10 acres of land. 7 acres for the arena itself, 3 acres for a public square.
• The sale price will be established after an assessment of the land.
• Sens will be owner of the land in mid-2025.
• Owned by Capital Sports and Entertainment (Sens), sold at fair market value
• NCC wanted a long-term lease, team would not budge on a sale
• Keep emphasizing that it's an entertainment area, not just an arena
• No cost established yet, still in the design phase.
• Too many parameters and variables before we can provide a timeline. Years, not months before a shovel hits the ground.
• The agreement was actually signed this morning. Papers were going back and forth last night.
• Mixed-use land. 6,000 new homes, 25% affordability.
• NCC is committed to bringing in other developments on the same timeline.
• Public transit is an important consideration in this. East-West and North-South lines of the LRT connect right next to the prospective place for the arena.
• City/Taxpayer role: A long way from details on financing. "I don't think" there should be an expectation of taxpayer funding. (from Sens) Potential P3 agreement, ala the Oilers. Both Bell and Richcraft Sensplex are P3 agreements.
• Plans for CTC: No detailed plans yet. Have had conversations, and it's clear the Sens need to do something special with this land. CTC will continue to be updated and repaired until the team moves.
• Need to do geological, geotechnical, transportation, and mobility studies. Need to do financing plan, zoning, environmental, and site cleanup studies. Numerous long studies and works need to be done before shovel in ground. There is contaminated soil that needs to be cleaned up.
• A Reporter asked about the different tones between the new Sens (Andlauer) and old Sens (Melnyk). Said a lot of words without saying anything of actual value.
• NCC rep: "A key point in this was when Andlauer purchased the team."
• The team wanted to own the land so that they could reduce complexity in an already complex process.

[Coconuts]

Here's the actual press conference if you want to watch it 

 

 

 

[Provost]

I won't believe it until I see them play their first game there.

I lived in Ottawa for two years for work (well commuted there weekly and came home most weekends) right around the turn of the century.  There were deals in place an announced for an arena there all the time that never panned out.

The current arena is way out of town and the traffic after games are done is horrifying, I only went to one game against the Canucks.  If it were right beside downtown in the flats it would be a huge boon to their attendance and the convenience.

[Ghostsof1915]

Ottawa getting things done when Arizona couldn't. 

[the destroyer of worlds]

When this gets built, the arena location can't be used for attendance issues.

[Ghostsof1915]

Now Winnipeg needs a bigger arena, not sure if it was the only chunk of land they could get, but it's really too small for an NHL arena. 

[Ghostsof1915]

Which gets built first?

 

Breton Flats?

Canucks Practice Facility?

 

I'd say Ottawa.

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

8 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Which gets built first?

 

Breton Flats?

Canucks Practice Facility?

 

I'd say Ottawa.

 

Though LeBreton Flats might be marginally beaten by the new black seats in Rogers Arena. 

[Alflives]

This ain’t happening; the Sens will build in Arnprior. 

[Canuck Surfer]

Isnt this an area like West Main st in Vancouver; Junkie City?

[Ghostsof1915]

1 hour ago, Canuck Surfer said:

Isnt this an area like West Main st in Vancouver; Junkie City?

Rogers Arena is not far from the Downtown East Side. You saying the Canucks should find another location?