65 days - How the City will make its decision on the future of professional sports and a stadium
On Friday City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick released a memo to City Council explaining the two step process for how the City of Ottawa will make its decision on the future of a professional stadium in the Nation’s Capital and evaluate both the Lansdowne Live and MLS Soccer proposals.
Council will make its decision in 65 days at our meeting of April 22, 2009.
Please post your comments on my blog and let me know what you think.
Here is a copy of the memo from City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick to Members of Council:
When I wrote to Council last month regarding the receipt of an unsolicited proposal from Senators Sports & Entertainment (SSE) for the development of an outdoor stadium that could accommodate a Major League Soccer franchise adjacent to Scotiabank Place, I committed to bring forward a proposed process for Council’s consideration of that proposal.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide Members of Council with a recommended approach for the joint consideration of the SSE stadium proposal and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) Lansdowne Live stadium and development proposal. As Council is aware, the SSE proposal was received while staff was undertaking the analysis and evaluation of the OSEG proposal, which was submitted by OSEG in October of 2008.
With two stadium proposals now before the City, staff, in consultation with the Mayor and the Chair of the Planning and Environment Committee (PEC), is recommending a two-stage evaluation process. The process, as outlined below, has been designed to provide Council with the opportunity to first consider information regarding the location of a stadium prior to a subsequent presentation on the analysis of both the SSE and OSEG proposals.
Stage One: A staff report on The Needs Analysis for Multi-Purpose Sports & Entertainment Facilities Study will be issued on February 19, 2009. This report will be formally tabled at PEC on February 24, 2009 and will be considered at PEC on March 10, 2009 with Council consideration on March 11, 2009. This report will provide Council with information on the need for sports and entertainment facilities in Ottawa and on the evaluation of 23 stadium sites throughout the City. It was commissioned by the City in August of 2008 and was completed in December by the Corporate Research Group.
Stage Two: The staff report on the evaluation of the business cases for both the OSEG and the SSE proposals will be tabled at a special meeting of Council on March 25, 2009. This report will provide an analysis of the two proposals from both a land use and business plan perspective and will make recommendations for Council consideration.
In order to provide for public consultation, it will be recommended that Council refer this report to a joint PEC and Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee meeting to be held on April 7, 2009 for the purpose of hearing public delegations. The report will then be considered by Council at its regular meeting on April 22, 2009.
The City has spoken to representatives of both groups to advise them of this process
February 17th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Would council look at going with both projects.Before anyone says we can’t afford it lets look at some facts.
1)Teams such as these pump millions of dollars into the city.The city would benift big time buy having 2 world class complexes.
2)Both projects include condos houseing is hard to come by in ottawa.So this would aslo help out the city.
3)Both would great thousands of jobs and with whats going on this is very key.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
What is the legality of this process given that council approved a competition for the Lansdowne site?
February 17th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Michael
I beleave the hunt group was part of the compeition.
February 18th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Putting aside, for a moment, the questionable suspension of the Design Lansdowne Competition…
Building Scotiabank place all the way out in Kanata was a huge mistake — let’s not make the same one again. Suburban development encourages car-dependency at a time when we need to be moving toward sustainable alternatives. Public transit to Scotiabank Place from the city centre is atrocious at this point, and few car owners choose to take it as a result.
Lansdowne Park is a prime location: it allows city dwellers (including tourists who largely stay downtown) to walk, bike or take a short bus ride to games, it draws clientele to a broad range of locally-owned businesses along Bank St., and it will revitalize a part of the community being increasingly neglected.
I have absolutely no opinion about the desirability of soccer vs. football. However, I can say with absolute certainty that I would pay to see a game — any game — at Lansdowne, but I will never, EVER go out to Kanata for that purpose. I think there are many others like me in the city. The university student population in the city centre WILL fill up seats in Lansdowne; it will rejuvenate the community around the two campuses, providing a common place and pastime in which residents will invest their money and their pride. If the stadium is built in Kanata, it will only benefit middle-class people with deep pockets, and it will do nothing to give Ottawa a sense of identity.
The suburbs are what they are because they’re always the same — they could be anywhere. A stadium built out there will be indistinguishable from any other suburban one. On the other hand, if the stadium is downtown, framed by the canal on one side and the businesses of historic Bank St. on the other, it is recognizably Ottawa.
Please, give us something to do with our money other than drink, dine and shop downtown. Give us something to be proud of.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
To tell the truth, I would prefer if the current City Council had no input in the Lansdowne project.
The current council is utterly useless and will only seek to serve their own personal interests.
We should bring in a new focus group that will not have their own personal agenda.
February 18th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
A city the size of Ottawa should be able to support both projects. The rejuvenation of Landsdown Park is good for the core. The addition of a high quality soccer franchise will be well supported by the tes of thousands of soccer players in the city.
I tend to agree that I have little confidence in the ability of our “small town” council to make the right call.
February 21st, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Hi;
I can not see how City Council can handle such a big decision or why they should be including in any decision making.
I honestly believe that while this council is sitting that the more we stay away from them the better.
Perhaps, bids should be put to have the projects completely privatized.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Lansdowne location and Lansdowne Live proposal is clearly superior. Best location, committed local developers, support existing local businesses. Return a crown jewel in the heart of the city. I can understand debate but Lansdowne and the CFL is hands down best for this city.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Rhonda
Landsdown may be the best and thats what most want.But more people want soccer over football.So to say cfl plus landsdown is whats best for the city is really not correct.Landsown and soccer is what would be best for the city.
February 25th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Karen
I have no idea why the scotia bank in kanata was a mistake.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
60,000 Registered soccer payers the area. (5,000 at best for football players). 16,000 season tickets sold for TorontoFC (MLS)+ 10,000 on the waiting list. 55,000 at the big O last week in Montreal for a soccer game. There is a need for City Council to do some Cathedral building and look beyond the next municipal elections. Soccer is the future…CFL is good, but its days are numbered.It cannot survive long term. We have to support Mr.Melynk, and his Kanata stadium bid for the MLS, and the future. Good luck with your decisions.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Mr. Cottrell,
Did you not have a chance to read the information provided by the CFL:
http://www.cfl.ca/article/cohon-here-are-the-facts
To say that MLS is the future of sport is horribly misguided. To think that a $40 million franchise fee for a league with clear financial issues is reasonable is clearly misguided.
To take youth participation rates and use that as the basis for support for professional soccer is misguided.
Above all - for this city to commit millions for a project that does not address the needs of Lansdowne Park - and is in a location not easily accesible to the majority of the citizens of Ottawa - would be a travesty.
The CFL is a better business model. In my opinion Lansdowne Live is a far superior community project.
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Kitch
No i would not say its a far superior it may be a bit better but not as much as your making it out to be.It should partly come down to what people want most want it at landsdown and more want soccer over football.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 am
Jayme -
I would respectfully ask where is your proof that Ottawa would prefer Soccer to CFL. Further to that MLS soccer is a huge question mark - and MLS or CFL is the question before the city.
For a point of reference how about this. The Saputo family in Montreal owns the USL soccer team - they are the driving force behind the team that just last week drew 55,000+ fans to the Big O that was touted by Mr.Cottrell above. Notwithstanding the fact that this was Montreal and not Ottawa.
What does it say that the Saputo family who own an incredibly succesful USL team and with reasonable logic would stand to benfit the most from an MLS franchise think that $40 million franchise fee for an MLS franchise is outragous and refuse to pay anything more than $30 million. Does this not raise the question - what is the value of MLS soccer?
What does it say that David Beckham - the savior of the MLS and soccer in America is doing everything possible to stay in Europe and not re-join the MLS.
What does it say that prospective expansion cities are dropping like flies for the MLS due to economic concerns and economic demands by the MLS that do not match the financial deck of cards that is MLS soccer.
In my opinion CFL is a stable Canadian league backed by a significant (in Canadian terms) television contract and history.
Local, wealthy, succesful and committed businessmen are fully behind the CFL in Ottawa which has not been the case for 30 years. The realistic prospects for MLS in Kanata pales in comparison.
If soccer is as popular as you say - why not CFL and USL at Lansdowne.
April 5th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Not again, not all the same, silly, tired old anti soccer arguments. If anybody has to ask if soccer is popular, you have to wonder what stone they are living under.
I had a lot of fun watching CFL games ….loved it……the cowboy riding around the racetrack every time there was a Riders touchdown), but that was then ……this is now. We have significant immigration (which we need if we are to stay viable as a nation), we have a 200 TV channel universe. The days of Russ Jackson and Ron Stewart are a distant memory, together with hulla hoops, and A and W waitresses on roller skates.
As to the MLS expansion, a few cities have dropped out, (3, I believe), ( hello, we are in a recession……seen what’s happening to baseball?)….but a few have come in…..wait and watch Vancouver….you think the Canucks are popular?….you ain’t seen nothing yet. The Lions will be dwarfed. So, forget youth participation rates, look at Torono, you can’t get a ticket to TFC games(16,000 season tickets sold, with 14,000 on the waiting list). And Seattle capped season tickets at 22,000.
The anti soccer propaganda machine is running out of steam. You’ve played the ethnic card (no dice), you’ve played the violence card(no dice), you’ve played the kiddie only card(no dice)…so now it’s the Beckham card and the cost of a franchise……………come on!…………..
Yes, the CFL probably could make it (yet again) in Ottawa, with a huge amount of promotion, media coverage, and ongoing boosterism…but for how long?
But, please,let’s not get into a big fight about this. I haver nothing against football (incidentally , why do you call it football?….what has it got to do with the feet?….call it throwball or crashball ..yes?), but tomorrow belongs to soccer. We are in the world. So whether we go for a soccer stadium or not (and I personlly think that city council will not, as we have no visionaries at all there), at some time in the not too distant future we will be building a soccer specific stadium for the MLS, not for division 2 by the way . The question is…………….how long must we wait?
I really hope City Council makes the right decision, but like the baseball stadium, which they they might as well tear down, I unfortunately doubt if they will (make the right decision).
But , do let’s tear down Lansdowne park …..link it to the canal, bring in waterfront pubs and bars, fountains, fishing ponds, skating rinks for the littlle ones , green space etc etc, and let’s say …YES to Mr. Melynk!