An agreement is formally in place between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC) to build a new downtown arena at the LeBreton Flats neighborhood.
The plot of land is a 10-acre plot at the area to build a multi-purpose facility, which includes an ice hockey arena. The Senators entered a memorandum of understanding with the NCC to develop this area, where they had a deadline deal of September 20th. Senators president Cyril Leeder and NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum made the announcement on that day at Canadian Tire Centre.
Nussbaum said that the NCC initially was looking at a long-term lease of the land, but through negotiation, agreed to sell the land to the Senators. Both sides had to clear several hurdles before the Sens could purchase rather than lease the land and get more than six acres, as initially offered by the NCC. The price tag, however, was not disclosed.
Senators are a Step Closer to Playing close to Downtown
For years, the Sens have tried to move from their longtime home arena at Canadian Tire Centre, which has been 22.6 kilometers to the southwest of the main part of Ottawa, in the suburb of Kanata. This often slowed down traffic, which has been frequently cited as a roadblock for attracting crowds. There was a previous deal in redeveloping the LeBreton Flats area to build an arena under previous owner Eugene Melnyk, but it fell apart in 2019 after a fallout between Melnyk and business partner John Ruddy. Melnyk passed away in 2022, and his estate and family sold the team to Michael Andlauer.
Leeder also noted that an arena at LeBreton Flats is an ideal location, noting that the Confederation Line and the Trillium Line, two light rail lines on the O-Train (Ottawa’s light rail rapid transit system), have stations along the LeBreton Flats area. And while transit and walk-up crowds will be a big part of this fanbase for the planned new arena, Leeder added, “Initially, you’re going to need some parking on a LeBreton site.”
While Leeder said he was not expecting taxpayers to pitch in to fund the arena, municipal tax dollars did go towards arenas in other cities in Canada. The cities of Edmonton and Calgary put city funds towards Rogers Place and the now under-construction Scotia Place, respectively. Also, the city of Ottawa is responsible for paying construction costs for the Lansdowne 2.0 plan, which includes improvements to TD Place Stadium and a new hockey arena for both the Ottawa 67’s and the Ottawa Charge.
This is a major first step for the Senators in playing closer to the city of Ottawa, but there are many more steps to go through. The next part of the plan regards the design and the cost of constructing a new facility, and the layout of the facility’s interior. Another question is about the fate of Canadian Tire Centre, though Leeder noted that they would “need to do something special” with the current Senators’ arena when it is no longer needed for hockey games.
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