Ottawa Senators get another chance at a LeBreton Flats arena

The National Capital Commission (NCC) has once again inked an agreement with the Ottawa Senators that would bring a new NHL arena to LeBreton Flats near downtown Ottawa, years after the collapse of another Sens-backed arena plan.

The NCC announced a memorandum of understanding with the Senators-led Capital Sports Development Inc. to work toward an arena and mixed-use development on Albert Street between Preston Street and City Centre Avenue.

While plans are still in the infancy stage, the NCC is already in place. saidAccording to a NCC news release, Thursday’s release stated that the company has set a fall 2023 goal to secure a long-term lease with “clear objectives related to sustainability, affordable housing, and benefits for Algonquin Nation.”

The City of Ottawa will also have to approve the plans.

In 2018, the previous arena plan was scrapped.

A number of groups are joining the Senators for this latest plan.

• Sterling Project Development, a real-estate management and advisory group that recently completed the new home of the New York Islanders.
• Populous, which designed Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Vidéotron Centre in Québec City, T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.
• Tipping Point Sports, a sports finance and advisory firm focusing on public-private partnerships for sports-anchored mixed-use developments.
• Live Nation, an entertainment company that produces concerts and festivals.

How did we get here?

The NCC announced that it would be opening an arena in April amid speculation. said only that “multiple pitches” for “major attractions” had been submitted after its request for proposals in 2021.

“We have a lot of interest in getting this right…. Expectations, I think, on the NCC are high for these sites, so we want to be sure to take the time to get it right,” NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum told reporters at the time.

Thursday’s announcement came after the NCC finalized its evaluation and due diligence process, and entered 60 days of negotiations with potential proponents.

Residents weren’t given a chance to weigh in ahead of the NCC’s selection of a preferred proponent, but Nussbaum noted in April that residents had already discussed what they want to see at LeBreton during public consultations for the LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan in 2019.