Lansdowne Conservancy claims proposal would save city $68 million
Posted Apr 27, 2011 04:11:25 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Lansdowne Park Conservancy claimed today that its competitive proposal for the development of Lansdowne Park would save the City of Ottawa $68 million, keep the park self-sufficient and revenue-positive, and provide a “world-class stadium” by December 2013.
The Conservancy plan differs from the current Ontario Sports Entertainment Group (OSEG) proposal in that it would be entirely publicly owned, save for the retail space allotted in the proposal.
The OSEG proposal would split revenue of the property between the private developers and the city.
The Conservancy claims the OSEG plan will cost the City of Ottawa $178M; while the Conservancy plan will cost $110M.
The City of Ottawa must resolve current legal, Ontario Municipal Board, and heritage challenges over a sole-sourced Lansdowne Park development bid from the private OSEG before development can begin.
Critics of the city’s Lansdowne development process dislike how the current development proposal was chosen by the city.
“Just open the doors,” Conservancy spokesperson John E. Martin said. “No contract has been signed. An open competition would stop the legal challenges and determine the best value for the taxpayer. The City has proven it can hold a 60 day request for proposals.”
A decision from the Superior Court on the legal challenge is not expected until September 2011 and could possibly order a request for proposals.
