NCC encouraged by talks with the Senators for rink at LeBreton Flats

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The National Capital Commission is confident it can bring the Ottawa Senators to its field of dreams at LeBreton Flats.

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The NCC’s board of directors were told during a meeting Thursday that discussions with the Senators have been “pursued with renewed energy” since the sale to new owner Michael Andlauer was completed last September and remain hopeful a lease agreement will be in place in the fall.

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As Postmedia reported first, Andlauer and his partners have been given an extension until September by NCC chief executive officer Tobi Nussbaum to get a lease agreement in place to build a new arena on the land 10 minutes west of downtown.

Nussbaum is hopeful these talks will lead to an agreement.

‘The development of the dialogue continues,” Nussbaum said following the meeting. “The two groups are in discussions on a regular basis. We have a very engaged ownership group, both Mr. Andlauer and his partners are very keen and interested in the discussions with the NCC.

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“The conversation continues. We’ve got time now until the Fall of 2024 to continue the discussions and we are still hopeful the discussions we’re having will lead to a lease agreement. But it’s a big project, it’s complicated and there’s still many elements to work out.”

During the due-diligence period of the sale, representatives of all the groups that visited with NCC officials felt than the seven acres set aside wasn’t enough space . The bid by the late Eugene Melnyk called for a rink and a hotel, but the Senators would like to build an arena district around the rink.

Nussbaum repeated the NCC is open for discussion on that front.

“What I said last year still holds true that we have flexibility in terms of looking at different ways in which we can manifest in agreement,” Nussbaum said. “So that flexibility includes on the specific land parcels. So that flexibility which we indicated last year is still valid.”

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When Andlauer met with his partners after purchasing the Senators, he set up a committee of land development and real estate experts that are focused on next steps for the new rink. Andlauer is a smart, successful businessman, but admits that’s not an area where he has expertise.

The committee includes Senators alternate governors George Armoyan and Paul Paletta, along with Shawn Malhotra of Ottawa-based Claridge Homes. All three bring experience in real estate and business development, so they’ll help Andlauer set the course for the arena’s new home along with club president Cyril Leeder.

There has been a lot of taking place behind the scenes as the Senators try to determine where the next stop will be if they ultimately determine they want to move out of the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata.

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Trying to revitalize the city, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has suggested a few other sites —  including Bayview Yards, RCGT baseball stadium and a spot near Hurdman Station. None are exactly in the centre of Ottawa if the priority is to get people back downtown.

The Department of National Defence headquarters near the Rideau Centre has also been thrown out there, but it’s only five acres. That’s why the NCC feels like it’s offering the Senators the best option.

“The NCC still feels very strongly that we are offering a very viable site for a major events centre,” Nussbaum said. “There’s a combination of access to two stations on the light rail transit system (plus) proximity to the city of Gatineau. There’s opportunities for great public realms and significant residential development.

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“It all has the ingredients to be a major and important site for the nation’s capital. So we feel good about it. The decision to build an arena will ultimately be up to the Senators to determine. It’s their decision, it will their arena, so I can’t speak for them but I can certainly say we’ve been encouraged by the discussions that we’ve had thus far.”

Bi-weekly meetings between representatives of the Senators and those negotiating on behalf of the NCC have continued since Andlauer closed the deal.

The Senators won preferred bidder status in June 2022.

The Senators have signed a memorandum of understanding with the NCC and that’s why those talks have been ongoing since 2022. The ownership change meant there was a reset in the discussions with the NCC and LeBreton Flats remains at the top of the list.

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That’s why the NCC gave Andlauer more time. His group wanted to be able to size up LeBreton Flats plus look at some of the options presented by Sutcliffe. Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle also told NCC officials she feels it’s important to get the Senators to LeBreton.

“We were very sensitive to the fact the change in ownership had a real impact on the timelines that we had originally envisioned,” said Nussbaum. “We wanted to make sure that the new ownership group had the time to work out what it wanted to do to understand the details of the site and determine what next steps they wanted to take in terms of the MOU.”

The NCC remains confident it can get the Senators to put pen to paper on a deal at LeBreton Flats.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

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