OSEG releases revamp of Lansdowne 2.0 plan, price tag jumps to $419M

The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) has released a redo of its controversial Lansdowne 2.0 project, and the revamp comes with a higher price tag.

The cost of the project has jumped from $332 million to $419 million, due to rising inflation and interest rates.

The plan has also deleted one of three residential towers that were proposed in the earlier plan, and that’s something the mayor thinks is the right decision.

“This new plan will make the financial model for Lansdowne, and for the partnership that we have with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, sustainable, realistic, and responsible,” Mayor Mark Sutcliffe told reporters at a news conference on Friday, Oct. 6.

The Lansdowne 2.0 proposal has been the subject of a flood of feedback — some positive, some negative — and OSEG says the public participation has improved the proposal.

“I think there’s a feedback that we received that’s resulted in today’s proposal, and kind of where we are, where we look to be, going forward,” said Mark Goudie, president and CEO of OSEG.

In addition to the removal of a residential tower, the amended plan also removes the green roof above the new civic centre, contains fewer retail spaces and no affordable housing units — although money would be diverted to build affordable housing elsewhere in Ottawa.

Capital Ward Councillor Shawn Menard, who’s been critical of the Lansdowne 2.0 proposal, says he finds the removal of the roof over the north side stands will lead to a reduced fan experience. He also argues that the lack of affordable housing is a major loss.

“The affordable housing here is, atrocious, quite frankly,” Menard told CityNews Ottawa. “What they’re doing with this, the sale of public land without the amount of affordable housing that should be accompanying the sale of that land.”

Menard argues that the $3.9 million pledged to be diverted to building affordable housing elsewhere won’t really lead to a noteworthy amount of affordable housing.

This amended Lansdowne 2.0 proposal will head to a few committees at city hall, before it makes its way to city council in early November.