Project update: Lansdowne 2.0 Project

The City of Ottawa has received a proposal from the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) to strengthen the partnership and redevelop Lansdowne to make it financially stable for the long term and to rehabilitate public infrastructure.

Proposal

The proposal is to demolish the existing north stadium stands and arena complex, and build a new, world-class event centre and north stadium stands. This new public infrastructure will make the venues accessible and sustainable, better positioning Lansdowne as an iconic, landmark site. A new retail podium and additional residential units are also included within the proposal. To learn more about the proposal, please visit the Lansdowne 2.0 Engage Ottawa page here.

Project update

The City initiated the planning process to support the Lansdowne 2.0 project on Thursday, June 29. This included the circulation of the Zoning By-law Amendment and Official Plan Amendment for public review and comment.

As part of the application process, the proposed development was presented to the City’s Urban Design Review Panel (UDRP) on Friday, July 7. The presentation focused on four key development objectives: mix of uses, mobility, design and scale, and public realm. The Lansdowne Project team will return to the UDRP as the project advances for further input on the new event centre, north side stands, retail podium, residential towers and public realm.

Accessibility Advisory Committee

The Lansdowne 2.0 project was presented to the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) on Tuesday, August 15 as a first step in consultation on the accessibility needs of the event centre, north side stands and overall site improvements.

The City presented the AAC an evaluation of the existing conditions of the current TD Arena, north side stands and surrounding site, with deficiencies discussed such as:

Existing north side stands

· Lack of fair seating options for those with accessibility needs

· Lack of ability to improve options for accessible seating in locations due to lack of elevator access to upper levels

· Lack of easily and fully accessible washrooms and universal washrooms with adult change tables meeting today’s codes and accessibility standards, in order to meet the needs of the wider community

· Failure of concession stands to meet accessibility standards

Existing Event Centre

· Lack of fair seating options for those with accessibility needs

· Hazard to all posed by stadium support columns, including persons with vision disabilities

· Lack of accessible gate entry options

· Failure of concession stands to meet accessibility standards

· Lack of easily and fully accessible washrooms and universal washrooms with adult change table meeting today’s codes and accessibility standards, in order to meet the needs of the wider community

· Lack of options for locker rooms and referee facilities to accommodate Para sports, such as sledge hockey players/officials, wheelchair basketball, curler, etc.

· Lack of accessible press facilities

The project will continue to consult with the AAC through the design development of the event centre and north side stands, including through future Site Plan Control applications and tendering processes.

Lansdowne 2.0 digital twin

The digital twin is a virtual representation of the proposed development within the context of Lansdowne today. This 3D model is intended to provide a virtual representation of the site once fully built out. The digital twin will continue to be updated as the project evolves, and a final design will be posted online once approved.

Public engagement update

The City launched the first phase of public consultation beginning with a citywide survey on the overall Concept Plan. This survey received over 2,000 responses and has helped City staff gauge the general public knowledge and understanding of the overall proposal.

The City launched a second survey on public realm and staff received more than 700 responses. The As We Heard It Report can be found here.

The City has held three separate public information sessions, focusing on the overall Concept Plan, the Urban Park/Public Realm plan and the Planning Act applications. In total, more than 450 residents attended the sessions. Presentation materials, FAQs and As We Heard It Reports can also be found on Engage Ottawa.

A second opportunity to hear the Planning Act applications presentation and ask questions will be held in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, September 6 at 6 pm. Those interested in attending can register here.

The project team continues to hold the Lansdowne 2.0 Coffee Chat series. These are weekly gatherings where the public can ask questions, learn about the project, and share thoughts with the Director of the Lansdowne Project from the comfort of home or office. You can register for a coffee chat with the Director here.

Residents can also look out for City staff on site where we will ask you to participate in a survey. The collection of this data is crucial to understanding the needs and wants surrounding Lansdowne.

Key public input

The key themes of public comments from the three public information sessions, email correspondence and coffee chat series include:

1. Density
2. Tower height
3. Proximity of Tower 3 to Aberdeen Pavilion
4. Closure of Aberdeen Square to traffic
5. Public realm improvements
6. Financial structure of the project

Committee and Council

The staff report and final recommendations are targeted to come before a joint meeting of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee and the Planning and Housing Committee on Wednesday, October 18, to Built Heritage Committee on Monday, October 23, and to City Council on Wednesday, October 25.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please send us an email at LansdowneRenewal@Ottawa.ca.