Lansdowne 2.0

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Background

Lansdowne is a place of history and civic pride. For over 175 years, it has been a gathering place for neighbours, residents of Eastern Ontario and Western Québec, and for tourists from across Canada and around the world. It is a place of connection and celebration for sports, cultural and community events.

In 2012, City Council entered into a 30-year partnership (now a 40-year partnership) with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) for the renewal and revitalization of Lansdowne with a new South Stadium Stands, new mixed-use retail and reimagined public realm spaces and subterranean parking.

In

Background

Lansdowne is a place of history and civic pride. For over 175 years, it has been a gathering place for neighbours, residents of Eastern Ontario and Western Québec, and for tourists from across Canada and around the world. It is a place of connection and celebration for sports, cultural and community events.

In 2012, City Council entered into a 30-year partnership (now a 40-year partnership) with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) for the renewal and revitalization of Lansdowne with a new South Stadium Stands, new mixed-use retail and reimagined public realm spaces and subterranean parking.

In December 2020, City Council directed a working group made up of City and OSEG representatives to consider options to enhance the sustainability and long-term financial viability of Lansdowne’s operations and the Partnership.

In July 2021, Council agreed to move forward with the recommended Framework as described in the staff report.

Staff were asked to bring forward detailed plans and cost estimates for the revitalization of Lansdowne Park including a funding strategy for the City’s portion; an assessment of revenue neutrality and assessment of the financial implications for the City for the term of the Partnership agreement

Since July 2021, City Staff and OSEG have done due diligence to review the formal business case, reviewed financial projections and proformas, assessed feasibility of affordable housing, undertake geotechnical work and hydrogeological investigations, and develop a class D estimate for the project.

Proposal

The proposal celebrates and honours the storied history of Lansdowne as a bedrock of Ottawa’s civic, cultural and sports identify while presenting a generational opportunity to renew and transform these city assets.

Using the Lansdowne Guiding Principles as the framework, the proposal also builds on the collaboration and vision that has guided development at Lansdowne to date. These Guiding Principles, developed in 2010 by the City, National Capital Commission (NCC), Parks Canada and OSEG in consultation with the public, envision a site that reflects the history, unique location and role of Lansdowne as a year-round gathering place for our Capital City. Lansdowne 2.0 is consistent with these Guiding Principles and represents an important next step in achieving the vision for this site.

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, sustainable, and better position Lansdowne as an iconic, landmark site. New retail podium and additional residential units are also included within the proposal. In line with the City’s Official Plan, the residential component will bring additional density to Lansdowne, while providing a significant part of the funding envelope for Lansdowne 2.0.

Below are the highlights from the proposal:

Concept Plan

  • Council was asked to “approve in principle” the proposed concept plan. This means that the concept plan may be subject to change as we go through the consultation process.
  • OSEG has provided a proposal and concept plan to create a new state-of-the-art Event Centre with 5,500 seats that will support an expansion of local events, concerts, and markets.
  • Reconstruction of the North Side Stands to replace the aging infrastructure and rebuild it to the latest accessibility standards.

Overarching Financial Key Messages

  • The project is affordable and self-financing. There is no additional cost to Ottawa taxpayers.
  • It is revenue neutral, meaning there are sufficient additional revenue sources to fund the total cost of this project including the financing costs.

Rationale for Air Rights proposal

  • By following the same process as was done during the initial redevelopment, with oversight by a Fairness Commissioner, staff believe the sale or lease of these air rights creates significant added value by generating revenue to offset the project costs and helps to make the overall business case affordable to the City.
  • The City commissioned an external appraisal firm to assess the land sale prices on a per square foot of anticipated development density. CREO’s internal appraisers reviewed the findings and reconciled the data in relation to the OSEG proposal. Based on the preliminary plans showing an anticipated development density of 850,000 square feet the estimate of market value attributable to the residential development air rights is $43.5 million.

Public Realm

  • City Staff are recommending the approval of a detailed investment plan for the urban park and public realm. It will ensure that the City can deliver on much of the feedback received from residents, working groups and staff (better sledding area, an area for small concerts, opportunity for better furnishings and design improvements for comfort and safety).
  • City staff are recommending a strategic investment for the urban park and public realm that will aim to create a more welcoming outdoor venue with the understood target being 5 million visitors to the site annually.

Heritage

  • The plan looks at upgrades to the Horticulture Building and Aberdeen pavilion and seeks to retain experts to introduce better climate control methods while maintaining heritage considerations.
  • These upgrades will support wider programming opportunities across the site throughout the year

Affordable Housing

  • The City is recommending that the new residential component will have a minimum of 10% affordable housing estimated at 120 units.
  • The disposal of the air rights will be conditioned to ensure that the affordable housing units remain affordable in perpetuity under the ownership and administration of a nonprofit housing provider.

Public Consultation

  • This report, which was approved, was asking Council to approve the business case, and to allow Staff to continue negotiations with OSEG to advance the design, cost estimates, consultation, and engagement as per the Council approved direction in July 2021.
  • With this report now approved by Council, Staff will begin the city-initiated rezoning included in the concept.

Property Tax Uplift

  • Additional property taxes for the estimated 1200 residential units and 59,000 sq/ft of retail space will be used.
  • 90% of this additional property tax will be dedicated to debt servicing, the remaining 10%, and all future tax increases after the stabilization date (2027-2029), will be used to fund city services.

Waterfall

  • In the current agreement, OSEG is paid back first, but in the proposed Lansdowne 2.0 we reprioritized the waterfall so the City does not have to wait until OSEG is repaid its equity.
  • In the Lansdowne 2.0 the City’s assets will be newer and require less lifecycle spending and the City is receiving more distributions because we start sharing in the profits right away.

Transportation

  • With the possibility of residential growth and more events to occur at Lansdowne Park, access to and from the site by all transportation modes has been considered at a high level. Specific direction from Council as part of the 2021 report asked that any changes made to Lansdowne must take into consideration all users of the site, with a focus on making pedestrians and cyclists feel safer.
  • Staff are proposing a medium to long-term plan for initiatives that will enhance connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists and improve on-site safety for all users and reduce conflict between transportation modes. Twenty-four suggested connectivity improvements, along with a key map, are listed in Document 3 (Lansdowne Park – Proposed Active Transportation Upgrades).

Accessibility

  • It is expected that an accessibility lens be applied to all design elements of new proposed features as part of the Lansdowne 2.0 project to ensure that requirements of the City of Ottawa Accessibility Design Standards (ADS) are met, which will include ensuring appropriate design team expertise, consultations with the community and consultation with the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC).

If you have any questions about this project please contact us at lansdownerenewal@ottawa.ca.

  • Launch of the Public Realm/Urban Park Survey

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    As part of the Lansdowne 2.0 project and as a follow up to the many ideas that have been brought forward and gleaned from the public through previous engagements, the City would like to hear from you on the prioritization of the list of ideas. The intent is to improve the site by making the urban park more welcoming and support increased use of the park for an enhanced public experience.

    On May 17, 2023, we hosted a public engagement session on the Lansdowne Public Realm/Urban Park and presented 25 ideas that have been captured from various engagement efforts. You can view the 25 ideas that were proposed here.

    This survey is to review the list of ideas and give you an opportunity to prioritize them and let us know if we have missed some ideas.

    The survey is now available here.

  • April 27th public session and Concept Plan Survey "As We Heard It"

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    The release of the "As We Heard It" report for the April 27th public session is now available here.

    Over 150 residents attended the session that consisted of a presentation on the overall Concept Plan, the Air Rights and Request for Expression of Interest (REOI), the business model with the financial strategy, and a Question and Answer period. The presentation is also available here.

    Thank you to the participants whom attended and provided their feedback.

    In the "April 27 - As We Heard It " report, There are a few outstanding questions we are working on and will follow up in the coming weeks.

    The release of the "Concept Plan Survey - As We Heard It" report is also now available here. Over 1800 responses to the survey were received.

    Thank you everyone who completed the survey.

    Please stay turned on Engage Ottawa for information and updates.

  • Engagement session on the Lansdowne 2.0 Public Realm/Urban Park

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    Thank you everyone for attending our virtual public information session on Thursday April 27th.

    The PowerPoint that was presented can be found here and we will be releasing an As We Heard It Report in the coming weeks summarizing the discussion and feedback that we received.

    As part of the Lansdowne 2.0 project and as a follow up to the many ideas that have come forward through various public consultations held for the Aberdeen Square and the Urban Park, the City would like to hear from you on the prioritization of the list of ideas that have been brought forward and gleaned from the public through previous engagements. The intent to improve the site by making the urban park more welcoming and support increased use of the park for an enhanced public experience.

    Please join us on May 17th at 6pm for a virtual engagement session on the Lansdowne 2.0 Public Realm/Urban Park. You can register by following this link. Please send any questions in advance of the engagement session to LansdowneRenewal@Ottawa.ca.

    Please stay tuned and subscribe here for more news and project updates. We look forward to your continued participation in the Lansdowne 2.0 project.

    The Lansdowne Project Team

  • Update – April 27th Public Information Session

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    Lansdowne Park is an iconic landmark in the city of Ottawa, known for its vibrant community events, sports facilities, and retail outlets. As the park continues to evolve, the City of Ottawa is committed to keeping the public informed of its progress. In that regard, we are excited to announce the Lansdowne 2.0 public information session scheduled for April 27 at 6 pm on Zoom. Please follow this link to register for this session. Feel free to send any questions in advance of the public information session to LansdowneRenewal@ottawa.ca

    The public information session aims to provide an update on the latest developments at Lansdowne Park, including plans for the future. Whether you're a resident, business owner, or simply interested in the park's future, this is an opportunity to learn about the vision for Lansdowne 2.0.

    Ahead of the public information session, the City of Ottawa is also providing supporting material in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and definitions also the schematic design drawings for the Event Centre, North Side Stands and Retail Podium. These documents are designed to provide answers to common queries and help attendees understand the terminology used in the presentation.

    The FAQ covers a range of topics, including how the funding strategy is developed, and the ‘waterfall’ agreement. The definitions document provides explanations of common terms used in the presentation, such as "Air Rights" and "Retail podium."

    The public information session is an excellent opportunity to engage with the City of Ottawa and gain insight into the plans for Lansdowne Park. By attending the session and reviewing the supporting materials, you can be part of the conversation and help shape the future of this iconic landmark.

    We look forward to seeing you there.

  • Lansdowne 2.0 Public information session

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    The City launched a city-wide survey on the overall Concept Plan. This survey has helped city staff understand the resident’s awareness and understanding of the overall proposal, ownership and usage of existing facilities and amenities at Lansdowne Park. A better understanding of why residents do or do not frequent Lansdowne Park, and how we can make this site sustainable for all.

    As of April 05, there has been over 1500 survey responses. City staff will produce an As We Heard It report based on engagement through March in the coming weeks. This report will be published on the City’s Lansdowne Park 2.0 Engage Ottawa webpage.

    The survey is still open for responses and we encourage you to take part if you still have not had a change to participate.

    The upcoming round of public consultation, education, and awareness in April will feature surveys, on-site engagement, public information sessions and workshops on the funding strategy and business model, and the air rights process.

    The City will host a virtual public information and consultation session on Thursday April 27, 2023 at 6:00pm. The topics for this session will include: the overall proposal, the funding strategy and business model, and the air rights process including the Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI). Staff will provide a presentation and host a comment, question and answer period. Please follow this link to register for this session. Feel free to send any questions in advance of the public information session to LansdowneRenewal@ottawa.ca

    Please stay tuned and subscribe for more news and project updates.

  • Launch of the public engagement

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    The City of Ottawa is launching our public engagement efforts for Lansdowne 2.0!

    The Lansdowne 2.0 project team has developed a robust engagement strategy to ensure that the public gets the chance to voice their ideas, input, and perspectives on the project.

    The consultation will last several months and is going to include a series of online and in-person surveys, a newsletter, community consultation workshops, business consultation workshops, as well as a number of pop-up engagement activities. These will provide residents and businesses with the opportunity to learn more about the project, ask questions, and provide feedback.

    The first opportunity is the Concept Plan survey for the Lansdowne 2.0 project.

    The survey is an important step in the public engagement process and residents are encouraged to provide feedback on the project's concept plans.

    The survey is now available here.

    Your input will help shape the future of Lansdowne Park. To stay up to date about upcoming engagement opportunities, please click the “subscribe” button on the right side of this page.

    We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions about Lansdowne 2.0, you can contact the project team at lansdownerenewal@ottawa.ca.

    Key Dates

    March 2023

    • Online Survey #1

    Spring & Summer 2023

    • Public engagement opportunities for:
      1. Lansdowne 2.0 concept plan
      2. City-initiated Zoning By-law amendment
      3. Urban Park and public realm
      4. Active transportation and transit
    • Public education and awareness on the business model & sale of air rights
    • Launch of City-initiated Zoning By-law amendment
    • “As we heard it” report
    • Funding Strategy and Business Model goes to Finance and Corporate Services Committee for consideration
    • Funding Strategy and Business Model goes to Council for consideration

    Fall 2023

    • Incorporate public feedback into final concept plan
    • Zoning report goes to Planning and Housing Committee for consideration
    • Zoning report goes to City Council for consideration

    2024

    • Next steps on site plan, design, and construction

  • Definitions

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    The Lansdowne 2.0 project is a complex initiative that involves numerous components, phases, and concepts. To ensure clarity and consistency throughout the project, a comprehensive document has been created that outlines the key terms and definitions associated with Lansdowne 2.0.

    You can access the document here.

  • Lansdowne Park Timeline

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    • October 2007: The City of Ottawa initiates a redevelopment of Lansdowne Park due to cracks discovered in the stadium.
    • October 2008: OSEG proposes a plan to revitalize Lansdowne Park by entering into a partnership with the City of Ottawa.
    • April 2009: City Council directs City staff to work with OSEG to develop a plan to revitalize Lansdowne Park.
    • September 2009: City of Ottawa staff and OSEG present City Council with a plan to redevelop and transform Lansdowne Park under a Lansdowne Partnership Plan (LPP).
    • November 2009: City Council approves the Lansdowne Partnership Plan and directs staff to negotiate a project agreement framework with OSEG.
    • June 2010: City Council approves the Lansdowne Partnership Plan and Implementation Report and votes to proceed with sole-source negotiations with OSEG after reviewing studies on the proposal.
    • June 2011: Ontario Municipal Board Decision on Lansdowne
    • October 2012: The legal closing of the LPP is approved by City Council and the City enters into a 30-year partnership with OSEG.
    • November 2012: Construction begins on the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park.
    • August 2014: Construction completed and Lansdowne Park reopens.
    • November 2019: A report goes to City Council identifying significant financial challenges to the partnership.
    • December 2020: Following the Lansdowne Annual Report and COVID-19 Impacts Update report, City Council extends the LPP to 40 years and directs City staff to work with OSEG to explore options that will enhance the sustainability and financial viability of the partnership.
    • June 2021: City Council approves the Lansdowne Park Partnership: Path to Sustainability and Next Steps report, which includes the framework for improving the LPP’s sustainability, and directs staff to negotiate with OSEG to develop a proposal to revitalize Lansdowne Park.
    • June 2022: City Council approves the Lansdowne Partnership Sustainability Plan and Implementation Report and directs staff to renegotiate the LPP and to work with OSEG to develop the proposed concept plan.

  • Consultation

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    Public consultation coming soon

    With the report now approved by Council, staff will begin the city-initiated rezoning included in the concept plan, which includes public consultation.

    A report will come back to Council before construction can proceed that will include what was heard during the multiple consultation activities. Throughout this process, City staff will provide regular progress updates to the community and stakeholders aiming to inform as many residents as possible via the City’s various communications channels. Creating a sustainable Lansdowne Park will be an exercise that will require the input of a broad and diverse group of voices and perspective from across the city and beyond. We want to maximize public involvement with the goal of receiving a variety of ideas, inputs and perspectives.

    We want our public engagement activities to be, accessible, meaningful, and engaging. Engagement activities will be a mix of online activities and in-person/virtual sessions to ensure that residents has an opportunity to provide input on the project.

    The goal of public consultation is to increase public interest in the project, collect feedbacks and also help City staff create a sustainable Lansdowne Park together.

Page last updated: 30 Apr 2024, 11:32 AM