|
Post by mikecubs on Dec 9, 2014 23:57:49 GMT -6
Centre ice: Ottawa Senators considering move to LeBreton FlatsThe Senators are contemplating a move downtown. The group that operates the NHL team — Senators Sports & Entertainment — has confirmed to the Citizen that it is “actively considering the opportunity” to build a new hockey arena on the grounds of LeBreton Flats. That means the Senators will be among those taking a long look at redeveloping the so-called second phase of the sprawling property on the south side of Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway across from the Canadian War Museum. On Sept. 30, the National Capital Commission launched a request for proposals to redevelop as much as 21.4 hectares of land at LeBreton Flats that sits south of the parkway and west of Booth Street. One criteria for the redevelopment proposal is the inclusion of “an attraction of a regional, national or international significance” that is also a “world-class capital destination.” The Senators told the Citizen the sports organization has been “approached by numerous well-established private sector companies and community organizations who have expressed a strong desire to partner with us on developing a world-class proposal for the site.” The Sens organization said it will make its final decision on whether to submit an application to the NCC over the next few weeks. While the Senators believe an NHL arena at LeBreton could drive economic development in the core, as well as serve as an “architectural anchor” for the development, they underlined that they “feel very strongly that this could only be possible with strong community support.”That could be a call to arms to Sens fans who support an arena in the city core to rise up in support of the idea. For decades, many have decried the current arena’s Kanata location as inconvenient, if not a downright barrier to attendance.
As one of the NCC’s criteria for proposals is that the redevelopment be a “valued destination for residents from the region,” vocal support from fans in favour of a move to LeBreton could help the organization’s bid. Even Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird seemed to question the current location of the NHL arena. The Ottawa West-Nepean MP was at the Citizen on Tuesday for an editorial board meeting when he was asked about whether he’d be in favour of an arena being built at LeBreton. Baird is the federal minister responsible for the NCC, and his opinion matters. He appoints directors to the NCC board and hired the new CEO, Mark Kristmanson. His main concern is that any new plan for LeBreton be state of the art — “If it’s not excellent my strong advice would be let’s not do it,” he said — pointing out that few cities have an opportunity to develop a major piece of land in its downtown core. Baird also said he wants to “respect the process” and didn’t want to wade into what his personal preferences for LeBreton might be. “I’m going to keep my powder dry,” he said. Still, when pressed about the possibility of a hockey arena, the foreign affairs minister said, “I’ve travelled quite a bit and I’ve never seen a major sports arena in the middle of nowhere.” It’s not a huge surprise that the Senators are looking as if they are moving ahead with an application for a major redevelopment project at LeBreton. Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has always said that the franchise needed non-hockey revenue in order to thrive. The original Senators owners wanted to make the current arena the centrepiece of a new commercial development, a controversial plan that never materialized, rebuffing the advice of then-councillors — including Jim Watson, Diane Holmes and Jacquelin Holzman, who was mayor at the time and is now an NCC director. Building an arena not just in a more central location, but right on the new LRT line — LeBreton Flats will be served by the new Pimisi Station — could attract more people to the games. The NCC has called for a redevelopment plan that “builds on the investment in the Confederation Line,” which this surely would. If the Senators go ahead with their application, they will have a number of hurdles to leap. The concept of an NHL hockey arena doesn’t immediately jibe with other NCC criteria for the new development, including fostering a “strong integration with existing and surrounding communities” or being a “complementary use for a waterfront site, with nearby national institutions and memorials.” As well, the NCC set up an expectation that the new development would be anchored by a public institution — LeBreton Flats is public land — and, at least under the current ownership structure, the NHL arena does not qualify. Then there’s the fact the bidding process is expected to be quite competitive. Applications were due by Dec. 5, but the NCC extended the deadline to Jan. 7, 2015 “due to a greater expression of interest than expected.” In September, the NCC’s CEO, Kristmanson, allowed that the LeBreton redevelopment “could” include a new arena, “but we can imagine other possibilities, as well.” ottawacitizen.com/sports/hockey/nhl/1210-sens-lebreton
|
|
|
Post by Bruinsfan on Dec 10, 2014 8:24:43 GMT -6
wait how old is their arena?
|
|
|
Post by TheDeuce on Dec 10, 2014 10:29:34 GMT -6
Opened in 1996, less than 20 years old. This can't be good for Kanata. White elephant anyone?
m.
|
|
|
Post by mikecubs on Dec 11, 2014 0:57:16 GMT -6
This isn't the biggest surprise in the world. The arena location SUCKS!!!! The building is ok though it has too many seats and suites. It's going to be very hard to get funding to replace a 20 year old arena in Canada.
NOT counting the NFL there are very few suburban arenas/MLB ballparks in the full time sports that play more than once a week. Here is the list
NBA 1. Detroit Pistons- 32.55 miles from downtown Detroit. There is a chance they could move into the new downtown Redwings arena at some point. Pistons do have one of the best attendance histories in the NBA but they had a ton of winning teams. Last 4 years when the started losing they draw flys.
MLB
1. Texas Rangers- They play in Arlington 17.91 miles west of Dallas. This is a rare suburban stadium that works. Rangers get great attendance.
2. Kansas City Royals- Only 7.59 miles away from downtown. The stadium was just renovated and is too pretty to tear down. Royals would probably draw slightly better downtown but not enough to justify a new stadium
3. Atlanta(in 2017)- The new suburban stadium will be 7 miles from downtown. Most of the braves fan base is in the north suburbs. Current stadium is in the slums.
4. Tampa Bay- 22.57 miles from downtown plus you have to cross a bridge. The worst located facility in pro sports by far.
NHL
1. Ottawa- 15.8 miles from downtown. Worst drawing Canadian team because of this and too many seats. If this was an American team and they had an arena this poorly located they'd go under unless they had a local Sammy Chivara.
2. Carolina- Only 6.59 miles from downtown. Location isn't the problem. You never hear it mentioned for the Hurricanes attendance woes.
3. Florida Panthers- 32.5 miles from downtown but close to Fort Lauderdale. Draws well for concerts at least
4. Phoenix Coyotes- 17.5 miles from downtown Phoenix. Team kept alive by Sammy Chivara and welfare from NHL.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2014 1:46:53 GMT -6
I doubt a new arena is Ottawa will happen anytime soon. The Calgary Flames first explored the idea of moving out of the Saddledome in the early 90's, although it was renovated in 1994 to meet the needs of the team. In Calgary, there has been talk for the last decade of building a new arena, and nothing is set in stone. It took the Oilers nearly two decades to finally start construction of the new Downtown Edmonton arena. The old Winnipeg Jets had wanted to build a new arena since the late 80's, as the old barn became obsolete. A new arena was finally completed in late 2004. In Quebec, they have been demanding a new arena for as long as the old Jets, and it will finally be completed in 2015.
I would not hold my breath for a new arena in Downtown Ottawa. It will be at least a decade, probably 2 decades, before we see the Senators move.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Dec 11, 2014 7:00:24 GMT -6
I doubt a new arena is Ottawa will happen anytime soon. The Calgary Flames first explored the idea of moving out of the Saddledome in the early 90's, although it was renovated in 1994 to meet the needs of the team. In Calgary, there has been talk for the last decade of building a new arena, and nothing is set in stone. It took the Oilers nearly two decades to finally start construction of the new Downtown Edmonton arena. The old Winnipeg Jets had wanted to build a new arena since the late 80's, as the old barn became obsolete. A new arena was finally completed in late 2004. In Quebec, they have been demanding a new arena for as long as the old Jets, and it will finally be completed in 2015. I would not hold my breath for a new arena in Downtown Ottawa. It will be at least a decade, probably 2 decades, before we see the Senators move. Ummmm, your forgetting we are talking Ottawa, they're treated like Quebec but with much less whining!
|
|
|
Post by mikecubs on Dec 16, 2014 8:12:08 GMT -6
Eugene Melnyk, Senators owner, calls new arena idea 'game-changer'
Current arena, Canadian Tire Centre, 'not built to last 30, 40 years,' Melnyk says
Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk calls the idea for a potential new arena in Lebreton Flats a “game-changer” and says if the team decides to craft a proposal, it’ll do so before Christmas. Melnyk appeared at the Canadian Tire Centre on Monday for his annual skate for kids. He spoke to media during the event about the interest in building a new arena, confirmed by Senators Sports and Entertainment last week. He did not guarantee a proposal will be made, but maintained there’s interest. " This impacts the city in a huge way; it impacts the organization in a huge way and we just need to clearly understand what we’re getting ourselves into because it is a long-term project," Melnyk said"It’s really a game-changer for us." The National Capital Commission has launched a request for qualifications to redevelop a 9.3-hectare site just south of the Canadian War Museum and has been actively seeking an anchor tenant. Interested proponents are also being asked to provide an outlook for what they would do with an additional 12.3 hectares to the west of the parcels of land. The deadline is Jan. 7, 2015. Melnyk did say, if he does give the thumbs up for a new arena proposal, it would be completed before Christmas. Canadian Tire Centre not built to last, Melnyk says Last week, the Senators said an NHL arena could serve as an economic driver at the site, but only with "strong community support." The team currently plays at the Canadian Tire Centre, in the west-end community of Kanata. " This building, believe it or not, was not built to last 30 to 40 years like people think. We spent a lot of money to keep this building looking the way it is, but … you have to build a new one eventually. I hope in my lifetime," Melnyk said.
NCC chief executive officer Mark Kristmanson has called the Senators’ interest in Lebreton Flats "interesting." Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has also said the land’s proximity to transit makes the prospect of a new NHL arena exciting. Melnyk said his team continues to review the idea. " We want to do what’s right for the city, the fans, for the organization long term, and that’s the way I think. It’s long term. It’s not what happens next year or the year after, it’s what happens over the next 20 years from now," he saidwww.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/eugene-melnyk-senators-owner-calls-new-arena-idea-game-changer-1.2874033
|
|
|
Post by mikecubs on Dec 26, 2014 22:34:03 GMT -6
Ottawa Senators to make case for new downtown arenaThey said it couldn’t be done, yet they did it. They didn’t have the money, but they landed a National Hockey League franchise because the NHL didn’t bother to check their pockets. They didn’t have a proper rink, but said they’d build one in a rural cornfield 25 kilometres away from the heart of their city – or, as Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird put it this week, “in the middle of nowhere.” Twenty-four years after the NHL awarded Ottawa the franchise that should have gone to Hamilton – where they had the money, but asked to pay in instalments – the Ottawa Senators have set records for futility, declared bankruptcy, changed ownership three times, gone to the Stanley Cup final and, this month, have been looking at moving to where they should have been in the first place. Not Hamilton – but downtown Ottawa. The leaked story that the Senators are sniffing around one of the oldest parts of Bytown, LeBreton Flats, has sent shockwaves through the nation’s capital. The west end is worried it is losing a franchise; downtown thinks it is getting one. You begin to see, as you read the reports and tune in to talk radio, why former Senators owner Rod Bryden once threw up his hands and declared Ottawa is “not a city at all, but a collection of small towns separated by parks.” The reason for such panic and hope lies in a “Request for Qualifications” put out by the National Capital Commission. They invited “innovative proposals” for the vacant federal lands by the war museum and set a Jan. 7 deadline for submissions. The NCC could hardly consider a hockey rink alone as a “bold, new anchor institution.” There is, after all, a perfectly good one out in that cornfield that is no longer in the middle of nowhere, but is today surrounded by housing, malls, restaurants and car dealerships. The oft renamed rink – Palladium, Corel Centre, Scotiabank Place, now Canadian Tire Centre – is in excellent shape and widely considered one of the finest facilities in the league by those who come to play and broadcast. Their complaint is the same one most local fans have – it’s a pain in the butt to get to. Visiting teams and media prefer to stay downtown – hotel points being the most treasured advanced metric among those who cover the sport – and much of the local fan base considers Kanata roughly halfway to Toronto. Current Senators owner Eugene Melnyk was in Ottawa this month to say it could be “a game changer for us” should the Senators win the NCC competition. Certainly, Mr. Melnyk’s people have been deeply involved in preparing the submission, which they made official just before Christmas. They call their internal project RendezVous LeBreton and quietly concede that “this has probably come along five years too soon for us.” The timetable, however, is set by the NCC. The Kanata rink is not quite 19 years old and in excellent condition, but there is a belief that such facilities have a 25-to-30-year lifespan. Large rinks built away from downtowns have a history of struggle, if not downright failure. In Canada, the six other NHL franchises are either already downtown or on their way (Edmonton and Calgary).Money, however, is always as much an issue as location, often more so. The Ottawa rink was built well away from expensive downtown locations to save money but, according to Mr. Melnyk, has ended up costing money. He claims to have lost more than $100-million operating the team. Some would roll their eyes at this, given that he picked up the bankrupt team and rink for $127-million in 2003 and Forbes magazine now values the franchise at $400-million. Still, the original group had to let Mr. Bryden take over for money reasons and Mr. Bryden eventually declared bankruptcy. The call for federal help has been heard before in Ottawa and if heard again will not likely find a receptive ear. Still, Quebec City got a $200-million commitment from the provincial government to help build the rink they hope will bring an NHL franchise back. Edmonton’s Daryl Katz is building a $450-million rink downtown that will have public monies in it, even though Forbes says Mr. Katz is worth $3.5-billion. Should the Senators’ pitch find traction, Ottawans will soon be swarmed by expert economists who will argue (a) such facilities are critical to downtown cores or (b) such facilities provide no perceivable benefit to citizens. Hockey played on a calculator. Mr. Melnyk tried to land the casino that Ottawa talked about building to compete with the Lac Leamy Casino across the river in Gatineau, but that plan was shelved after angry objections from the local racetrack and supporters. A casino remains a possibility, though the optics of placing one on taxpayers’ land within sight of Parliament Hill suggest one is unlikely for LeBreton Flats. Senator insiders say that when their casino pitch fell flat they had no “Plan C” for finding a new revenue stream that would make the hockey team – currently with the lowest salary commitment in the league – more viable. “This,” says one, “is now our ‘Plan C.’” Their argument is downtown rinks work, suburban rinks don’t. They point to the city’s current megaproject, a $2.1-billion light-rail line, and say that this would be a perfect tie-in with an event-driven sports and concert facility. They say they could then properly tap into the hockey-mad western Quebec market that considers Kanata farther away than Montreal’s Bell Centre. The Senators are acutely aware that a rink alone will not sell the NCC or the Ottawa public on their plans, that there has to be something magical to add to the mix. There has been no end to suggestions: building a new science and technology museum, a National Portraits Gallery, a First Nations centre. … “There has to be more than an arena,” says one from RendezVous LeBreton. Much more, and a convincing argument to accompany it. www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ottawa-senators-to-make-case-for-new-downtown-arena/article22215484/
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2014 4:00:34 GMT -6
I still cannot believe the Senators built the rink so far away from the inner city, when even in the 90s, teams were starting to build downtown arenas. The Senators made their bed, let them play out of Kanata for the next 15 years.
|
|
|
Post by mikecubs on Dec 28, 2014 1:22:46 GMT -6
It's a shame things turned out the way they did. I wouldn't mind if the Senators got an arena sooner. The current arena was 100% privately financed. If public money had been used ya, I'd say make them wait another 10-15 years.
|
|
|
Post by Bruinsfan on Dec 28, 2014 7:53:09 GMT -6
It's a shame things turned out the way they did. I wouldn't mind if the Senators got an arena sooner. The current arena was 100% privately financed. If public money had been used ya, I'd say make them wait another 10-15 years. pretty much, similar to the redskins, private financed stadium in a stupid location built way too large and without character.
|
|
|
Post by mikecubs on Dec 29, 2014 0:50:13 GMT -6
Yep, perfect comparison.
|
|
|
Post by wolfmannick on Feb 19, 2015 13:27:18 GMT -6
This should help some of the Senators problems. I dont know if anyone has been to a game there, it is really hard to get to, theres no good transportation system from the arena and its in the middle of nowhere. Its in a really bad location.
|
|
|
Post by mikecubs on Oct 5, 2015 11:48:47 GMT -6
Ottawa Senators likely to draw more people to games near downtown, poll finds More detailed submission to NCC on plan for new arena at LeBreton Flats due in December, team saysSome Ottawa and Gatineau residents say they're more likely to see a major sports event if it's closer to the downtown core, according to a recent poll commissioned by Radio Canada. The survey, which polled 500 people in Ottawa and another 500 in Gatineau, also found support for the idea of moving the Ottawa Senators closer to the city's core. A new arena is one of four ideas the National Capital Commission short-listed for the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats. RendezVous LeBreton Group, which represents the Ottawa Senators, proposed "a major event centre for sports and entertainment performances, complemented by green spaces, and residential and commercial developments." A more detailed design proposal and financial plan has to be submitted to the NCC by mid-December. 'Haven't found anybody that thinks it's a bad idea' About 55 per cent of people polled in the Radio Canada survey think the NCC should favour the project to move the Ottawa Senators downtown. Among those surveyed who had never attended an NHL game, 64 per cent said they would be more likely to go if the arena was more central.Senators president Cyril Leeder said the team hasn't encountered much opposition to the idea. "I haven't found anybody that thinks it's a bad idea. So it doesn't surprise me and those are numbers we like, obviously," Leeder said. "The numbers don't lie. If you're centrally located, you're closer to more of the population so people that haven't gone to games I think would find that would obviously be an improvement and maybe a reason for them to go to games." www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-senators-likely-to-draw-more-people-to-games-near-downtown-poll-finds-1.3248128
|
|
|
Post by mikecubs on Dec 16, 2015 2:18:05 GMT -6
New Ottawa development bids include NHL arenasThe Ottawa Senators could be moving into the heart of the nation's capital, as two proposals for the LeBreton Flats redevelopment in Ottawa have NHL-calibre rinks included in their bids, according to CTV News Ottawa. The bids were made by Rendez Vous LeBreton Group, which include Senators Sports & Entertainment (SSE), and DCDLS – formerly the Devcore Group. Last December, SSE - the group that operates the Senators - said it was "actively considering" whether to submit a proposal to the National Capital Commission for a new arena at the Flats, just west of Parliament Hill. "We can also confirm that we have been approached by numerous well established private sector companies and community organizations who have expressed a strong desire to partner with us on developing a world-class proposal for the site," the group said in a statement at the time. The NCC will reveal more details about the proposals during public consultations next month. The winning bid won't be announced until early 2017.The commission launched a request for qualifications to redevelop a 9.3 hectare site just south of the Canadian War Museum and has been seeking a main tenant. The Senators have played at the Canadian Tire Centre - in the west-end community of Kanata - since it opened as the Corel Centre back in 1996. Prior to that, the team played at the Civic Centre - shared with the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's - from 1993 to 1995. www.tsn.ca/new-ottawa-development-bids-include-nhl-arenas-1.409724
|
|