Ottawa Senators reach agreement to buy LeBreton Flats land to build new arena

The Ottawa Senators take another step forward to moving into a new downtown Ottawa arena in LeBreton Flats.

The latest development is an agreement for the Ottawa Senators to purchase 10 acres of land in LeBreton Flats.

The announcement was made in a joint press conference Friday with the National Capital Commission’s (NCC) CEO Tobi Nussbaum and Senators’ president and CEO Cyril Leeder.

The Senators will be purchasing a 10-acre site from the NCC, which Leeder called a significant step forward. He said next steps will include working on the design of a new facility.

The team had entered a memorandum of understanding with the NCC to develop the downtown LeBreton Flats area, with a deadline of Friday to reach a deal. The price tag for the agreement has not been revealed.

“It’s a great first step, but we got a lot of work ahead of us here”, said Leeder. This agreement “allows the heavy lifting to go forward”, indicating this isn’t a quick process. He told reporters at a press conference the plan is for the Senators to own the land in 2025.

The Senators say they cleared a couple of hurdles by being granted the ability to purchase rather than lease the land and get more than the six acres initially offered by the NCC.

The NCC said this agreement also includes building 6,000 new homes, parks and restaurants, creating a mixed-use neighbourhood.

“This agreement with CSDI and the Senators is great news for the National Capital Region. The major events centre and arena district will bring life and excitement to LeBreton Flats. This partnership will build on the development phases already announced as part of the NCC Building LeBreton project that will see 6,000 new housing units with an affordability target of 25 percent.” Nussbau said in a release.

Leeder said plans around financing the purchase has not been decided, but does not expect it to involve taxpayer funds.

Leeder did not commit to moving the Senators downtown, but did indicate it’s an opportunity to build a new arena. “We’re going to be here for a while yet” he said when asked about leaving Kanata.

The Senators current arena, the Canadian Tire Centre, is a 25-kilometre drive from Ottawa’s downtown making it more difficult for fans to attend games due to traffic. A downtown location would encourage walk-in crowds to attend games, Leeder said.

He believes the team should be located downtown saying it makes for a “better fan experience when you’re in a downtown environment”, indicating an example where people want to meet for dinner before or after a game.

“When you think about major facilities and the trends now and where they are, most arenas and stadiums are going downtown,” Leeder said. “When we came out here 30 years ago that wasn’t the case.”

There has been no expected date set for the opening or even construction of a new arena, let alone any initial design work completed.

The 10-acre land is located on the unceded lands of the Algonquin Nation. A news release states negotiations are ongoing to ensure the Nation secures short and long-term benefits and is a true partner in what promises to be a transformational opportunity for Canada’s capital. 

With files from The Canadian Press.