Snoop Dogg part Ottawa Senators owner?

[mikecubs]

Ottawa Senators win bid for downtown arena on LeBreton Flats
While the hockey arena was the showpiece of Thursday’s announcement, the NCC will also begin accepting offers next week on a new mixed residential development on Wellington Street opposite the Canadian War Museum.

After decades of inaction — and an embarrassing mulligan on its last attempt to bring the Ottawa Senators downtown — the National Capital Commission appears to have finally found the winning formula for LeBreton Flats.

Thursday’s announcement of a memorandum of understanding to lease land for a new arena to Capital Sports Development Inc., a company led by the Senators with a bevy of deep-pocketed partners, was touted by the NCC as “a transformational, city-building moment” that will fundamentally change downtown Ottawa.

If all goes well, the arena will be built on a 7.5-acre parcel of land on Albert Street between Preston Street and City Centre, just west of the site of Adisoke, Ottawa’s new central library, now under construction.

While the hockey arena was the showpiece of Thursday’s announcement, the NCC will also begin accepting offers next week on a new mixed residential development on Wellington Street opposite the Canadian War Museum.

That project, to be known as the Flats District, will see up to 800 new housing units in blocks of six storeys with set back towers of between 12 and 20 storeys. The housing will be modelled after neighbourhoods in the Netherlands with curb-less, narrow streets and a central aqueduct that currently flows underground through the area.

The housing development will include affordable housing units and an agreement to ensure economic benefit for suppliers and workers from the Algonquin Nation, on whose unceded land the development stands.

The NCC will accept requests for offers to lease the land from developers from June 29 until Oct. 5. It hopes to begin signing deals in early 2024 with construction beginning near the end of 2024.

Mayor Jim Watson, who sits on the NCC board of directors and likened the LeBreton Flats saga to the movie Groundhog Day, praised the agreement.

“Nothing is easy with LeBreton Flats,” Watson said. “But, at the end of the day, the NCC has brought forward a plan that is realistic.”

“The easy thing to do when things went south last time would be to pick up your notepad and your chequebook and leave. And you didn’t do that.”

A previous deal to bring the Senators downtown ended acrimoniously in 2018 in lawsuits and counter-lawsuits between the team’s former owner, Eugene Melnyk, and his partner in the deal, businessman John Ruddy.

“It’s an opportunity for us to thank the Senators for not giving up on this proposal,” Watson said Thursday.

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Somerset ward Coun. Catherine McKenney, whose home “is about 100 feet away” from the arena site, said they were excited by the proposal and what it would mean for the city.

“The last proposal was handing over the entirety of LeBreton Flats to one group,” McKenney said. “This process is much more manageable and I believe it will result in much better outcomes. It will be more organic and it will be much more diverse.

“It feels like finally, finally there’s a plan to get LeBreton Flats moving.”

McKenney praised the NCC’s plans for the Flats District.

“It’s the exact type of neighbourhood that we envision in our new official plan. People can live, they can visit, they can work there. And if they don’t work right there they can take the train to work. It really is the type of neighbourhood we have to be building everywhere.”

George Brown, a lawyer who advises the housing advocacy group Acorn Ottawa, also called Thursday’s announcement exciting.

“I’m all for building and intensification, but whatever gets built, we need to get something that works for everyone.”

Brown, a rabid hockey fan, said the NCC will need to have community benefit agreements to ensure everyone is served by the development.

“In the old days, we relied on trickle down and assume everyone was going to benefit,” Brown said. “We now know that doesn’t work. We have to plan for affordable housing, for equity in employment. for special apprenticeships so you have groups that have traditionally not been in the trades involved.

“The devil will be in the details,” Brown said.

Michael Foderick, an NCC board member from Toronto, said Thursday’s deal could transform downtown Ottawa in the way the Toronto Maple Leaf’s Air Canada Centre transformed downtown Toronto.

“This is fundamentally going to change, for the better, the nature of downtown Ottawa,” Foderick said. “We’re going see new residential units in a part of the city that needs that night life, that 24 hour presence there. I’ve seen how it’s transformed downtown Toronto. Those residential units bring light around the clock, not just during office hours.

“Just when the office workers are heading out, that’s when the hockey fans are coming in. They come in with their jerseys and their kids. The come in for a bite to eat and they’re having fun downtown. It brings this whole element of life to the downtown.”

The exact details of the arena deal will be worked out over the coming months. Thursday’s announcement did not included details of the financing of the arena project or a timeline for when it would be completed.

hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/ottawa-senators-chosen-as-preferred-bidders-for-parcel-at-lebreton-flats-for-new-arena.2889455/

[mikecubs]

Bruce Garrioch
@sungarrioch
#Sens have been given preferred bidder status for a new arena at LeBreton Flats. Lease deal has to be worked out by January. Memorandum has been signed.
9:47 AM · Jun 23, 2022


Bruce Garrioch
@sungarrioch
#Sens have signed up strong partners _ including those that built USB Arena plus and Live Nation is the biggest concert promoter in the world.

Bruce Garrioch
@sungarrioch
Sterling project development
Popolous
Tipping point Sports
Live Nation are the partners #Sens


Bruce Garrioch
@sungarrioch
Erin Crowe, Anthony LeBlanc and Brian Morris are here representing the #Sens
9:52 AM · Jun 23, 2022

[mikecubs]

pics

[mikecubs]

"Today's announcement marks a significant move towards our long-term vision, a downtown arena at LeBreton Flats. We believe that this development will have a major impact on both the Nation Capital Region and our franchise, one that will help to shape the future of the city. We thank the NCC for their collaboration and look forward to working alongside them as we take the next steps on this exciting journey."

«L'annonce d'aujourd'hui marque une étape importante vers la réalisation de notre vision à long terme, soit la construction d'un aréna au centre-ville aux plaines LeBreton. Nous croyons que ce développement aura une incidence majeure sur la Région de la capitale nationale et sur notre club, contribuant à façonner l'avenir de la ville. Nous remercions la CCN pour sa collaboration et nous avons hâte de travailler avec elle dans les prochaines étapes de ce parcours palpitant. »

- Anthony LeBlanc, President of Business Operations

[mikecubs]

Lots of Senator fans think the daughters will sell the team after the arena lease is agreed to since the franchise value will rise a lot.

[ekjet72]

Looks like they will be successful with the partners they have listed. A Bretons Flats 2.0 so to speak.
The Calgary situation is grinding along. If the notoriously frugal Murray Edwards, owner and managing partner, balked at 20M(ish) for sidewalks and paving, I don't hold much hope out for a new deal with today's inflationary costs.

[mikecubs]

I'm still very nervous about the Ottawa deal. I know they have great partners but the 2 college girls and former failed Coyotes owner Anthony Leblanc make me nervous. How pathetic would Murray Edwards look if 2 college girls and Anthony LeBlanc get a new arena and he can't because he's too cheap. LOL

[mikecubs]

Details emerge on the LeBreton arena project

As the Senators figure out how to fill the Canadian Tire Centre, they also have an eye toward building their new downtown arena at LeBreton Flats.

LeBlanc revealed that a group of Senators executives recently travelled with members of the National Capital Commission to study new NHL arenas in Seattle and Edmonton.

“Having them on the road with us was a great thing for them to see these two facilities,” said LeBlanc.

In an email to The Athletic, the NCC confirmed their participation in the tours of Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle and Rogers Place in Edmonton.

“The tour is part of the NCC’s ongoing work with the group led by the Senators towards the goal of signing a long-term lease agreement for the site by the fall of 2023. The Senators project team is gathering useful information as it’s working on elaborating its concept, design, and implementation plan,” the statement read. “As a reminder, the concept will be subject to public engagement as well as the federal approval process to ensure it adheres to the Building LeBreton Master Plan, including targets for sustainability and affordable housing and benefits for the Algonquins National and local communities.”

After viewing the two facilities with NCC officials, LeBlanc believes that Climate Pledge Arena offers a more suitable blueprint for what they are envisioning on roughly seven acres of land they have to work with at LeBreton Flats.

“They’ve done a remarkable job on a small square footage area, which is going to be our challenge,” LeBlanc said of Climate Pledge Arena. “It’s a tight site. I wish we had the 27 acres they have in Edmonton, but we don’t. Rogers Arena blew me away by their sheer size. Seattle was a much tighter bowl, which is what we’re leaning towards.”

When asked what the ideal seating capacity for the new Senators arena is, LeBlanc said the number will likely come in around 16,500. That would put it in the ballpark of some of the smaller NHL venues including Climate Pledge Arena (17,151), Prudential Center (16,514) and Barclays Center (15,813).

There will be a couple of noticeable differences between the new Senators’ arena and the Canadian Tire Centre. For starters, the number of luxury suites will be dramatically reduced. The Canadian Tire Centre currently has 123 luxury suites on various levels, but LeBlanc believes that number will be slashed to the 40-to-50 range in the new arena.

And the Senators are certainly looking to create more of a casual vibe by having viewing platforms and other gathering areas that are tailored for fans who aren’t fixated on watching every second of the action on the ice.

“We see that across town with our friends at the Redblacks. Those social spaces are a big part of their overall selling plan,” said LeBlanc. “So we need to cater to our traditional fan all the way to the millennial fan.”

LeBlanc says at this point, the new arena in Ottawa likely won’t be large enough to house an additional practice facility or extra ice pad for the hockey club.

“I highly doubt there is the space. Pierre (Dorion) would love that, he’s been vocal,” said LeBlanc. “But unless the NCC has more land that they’re willing to discuss, I don’t see it as being a potential.”

The Senators now have roughly 12 or 13 months to finalize their plans so they meet the NCC’s next deadline in the fall of 2023. During that time, the organization will undertake an environmental assessment of the land, finalize the details for the new arena — including the financing — and make sure they meet all the criteria laid out by the NCC. Until this crucial stage is completed, there won’t be any shovels into the ground or activity on the site at LeBreton Flats.

LeBlanc is hoping to do some public consultations with Senators fans on the new arena, likely in the form of informal gatherings of 50 season ticket holders at a time. The organization will take feedback from fans and what they would like to see and experience in the new venue.

theathletic.com/3576485/2022/09/09/senators-phillips-arena-tickets/

[mikecubs]

Senators begin sale process, say team must stay in Ottawa

Senators Sports & Entertainment on Friday announced that the Ottawa Senators are for sale, with a condition being that the team must remain in Ottawa.

Team chairman Sheldon Plener said in a statement that it was "a necessary and prudent step to connect with those deeply interested parties who can show us what their vision is for the future of the team."

Senators owner Eugene Melnyk died on March 28 at age 62 after battling an illness. He had previously said he planned to leave the team to his daughters, Anna and Olivia.

Any sale of the team would require approval by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the league's board of governors.

The next board of governors meeting is scheduled for December in Florida. However, because of the additional layers involved, including a background check, it is unlikely that a sale would be approved by then and instead would be a monthslong process, sources told ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

When Alex Meruelo purchased a majority stake of the Arizona Coyotes in 2019, the league included a clause in the contract that prevented the team from applying for relocation for seven years. The Senators sale could include a similar clause, sources told ESPN.

The Senators have retained Galatioto Sports Partners, a firm specializing in the sports finance and advisory business, as a financial advisor in the sale process.

Melnyk purchased the Senators in 2003 for $92 million at a time when the franchise faced bankruptcy and a tenuous future in the nation's capital.

A recent valuation from sports-business news outlet Sportico listed the Senators at $655 million.

The team's day-to-day operations has been handled by the board of directors since Melnyk's death.

Under Melnyk, the Senators played in the Stanley Cup final in 2007 when Ottawa lost in five games to the Anaheim Ducks. Ottawa nearly returned to the Cup final a decade later but lost the deciding game of the conference final in double overtime. Since that loss, the Senators have missed the playoffs in five straight seasons.

Ottawa is off to a 4-6-0 start this season despite a talented young core and series of significant offseason moves like acquiring forwards Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat.

The team has played at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata since the arena opened in 1996, but the Senators have again expressed interest in building an arena at a site in Ottawa.

www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/34946851/senators-begin-sales-process-say-team-stay-ottawa

[mikecubs]

NCC expects to sign lease this fall for NHL arena at LeBreton Flats

The head of the National Capital Commission says he's optimistic it will finalize a long-term lease with the Ottawa Senators for an arena at LeBreton Flats this fall, even with the franchise up for sale.

NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum says talks continue with the Senators senior management on a long-term lease agreement to build an arena on the land west of downtown Ottawa.

"We're in a period now of due diligence and further discussions on the basis of the MOU that was signed in June last year," Nussbaum said.

"We're feeling very optimistic, and the intention is still to have a formal lease signed in the fall of 2023."

Nussbaum says the NCC has had no discussions with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman or prospective owners on a new downtown arena.

"Clearly, we are very excited to meet the new owners, whoever they may be," Nussbaum said.

"In the meantime, I do need to stress that the conversations and the process continues with the senior management team of the Ottawa Senators."

The NCC's Board of Directors received an update on talks with Capital Sports Development Inc. on Thursday as part of a presentation on Building LeBreton Flats.

"They are continuing their due diligence work to understand the site conditions and also advancing design work by undertaking a fit test and massing analysis for its proposal," NCC Chief of Planning and Engagement Laura Mueller said.

"Identification of programmatic needs for the development and the facility is also underway."

Last June, the NCC announced it reached a memorandum of understanding with a consortium led by the Senators to build an arena surrounded by mixed-use development on the six-acre parcel of land west of downtown Ottawa.

In November, the Senators announced the club and Canadian Tire Centre was up for sale, sparking interest from several groups and individuals, including Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds.

Mueller insists the sale process has not disrupted talks between the NCC and Capital Sports Development on a new arena.

"While this process is underway, I can assure you that we remain optimistic that our discussions will lead to a long-term lease agreement by fall of 2023, this fall," Mueller said Thursday afternoon.

"And, of course, we'll continue to provide updates on the project to the board and the public in the coming months."


Postmedia reported that New York-based banker Galatioto Sports Partners are expected to open the due-diligence website this week to allow prospective buyers to look at the team's finances. Bettman said in December that more than a dozen potential bidders signed a non-disclosure agreement to view the Senators' finances.

Senators Sports and Entertainment said a condition of any sale would be that the team remains in Ottawa. The winning bidder for the Senators would also have the opportunity to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats, if the lease agreement is finalized.

Nussbaum says the NCC has a very "positive" relationship with the current management of the Senators, and they are "very clear" there will be new owners at some point.

"But the message that we've heard is there's an expectation that there will continue to be interest by new owners in the team to proceed with the construction of a downtown arena. So there's no cause for concern," Nussbaum said.

"Yes, clearly a change of ownership is a major step in this process; but as I say, very much looking forward to meeting the new owners and continuing the discussion with the goal of having a lease signed in the fall of this year."

The six-acre parcel of land for the arena is on Albert Street between City Centre Avenue and Preston Street, between two LRT stations. In December 2021, the NCC launched a request for expressions of interest for the land, as well as another smaller site farther north, seeking "bold and transformational" ideas.

The Senators-led consortium for the NHL arena at LeBreton Flats includes Sterling Project Development, Populous, Tipping Point Sports and Live Nation.

Nussbaum said the new owner of the Ottawa Senators would decide when construction begins on the new arena, and when it will open for the public.

"Ultimately since we're talking about a lease that the organization itself will be the leasee, it will be their decision in terms of establishing a timeline for construction," Nussbaum said. "Obviously, there will be a number of important planning elements to get done before then.

ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ncc-expects-to-sign-lease-this-fall-for-nhl-arena-at-lebreton-flats-1.6237626

[iceland2018]

Back in 1992-93, when the Senators announced they were building their new arena in Kanata, I thought it was a stupid move. It became well known by the mid 80s that building arenas on the outside edges of metro areas almost never work. Look at the past:

Arizona Coyotes (Glendale) FAIL
Cleveland Barons (Richfield) FAIL
Florida Panthers (Sunrise) FAIL
OTTAWA SENATORS (Kanata) FAIL
Minnesota North Stars (Bloomington) FAIL

[mikecubs]

Snoop Dogg joins Neko Sparks' bid to buy Ottawa Senators

Hip-hop artist and entrepreneur Snoop Dogg has joined businessman Neko Sparks' bid to buy the Ottawa Senators.

Snoop confirmed his involvement in an Instagram post Monday.


"Amazing what [Neko Sparks] is trying to do in Ottawa," Snoop wrote to his 80 million followers. "I'm looking forward to being apart [sic] of that ownership team. I WANNA BRING HOCKEY BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY."


The Athletic reported that the musician is one of more than a dozen investors -- including several people of color -- in Sparks' consortium that is making a significant push toward purchasing the Senators.

Sparks would be the first Black owner in NHL history.

The final price for the Ottawa franchise could reach north of $1 billion, which would make it the richest sale in NHL history.

This also wouldn't be Snoop's first foray into the sports world. In 2005, the rapper launched his Snoop Football League, with an emphasis on "provid[ing] youth, regardless of race, color, creed, or economic background the chance to learn the values of character, integrity, discipline, and teamwork through football and cheer."

From the tenor of his social media post, Snoop is aiming to bring that same mission into the hockey world and make the game more accessible to minority communities that might otherwise not feel there's a place for them.

Snoop being on Sparks' ownership ballot could be an enticing prospect if their bid is successful. The entertainer's star power might draw more fans and media attention to the Senators and help to monetize a potential new arena that any group purchasing the team would be interested in building. The Senators play in a rink well outside city limits, and seeing the club move downtown is a significant piece of the puzzle for its future owner.

Sparks has competition in the celebrity category, too. Another interested party -- The Remington Group -- is supported by actor Ryan Reynolds' investment; it is considered a front-runner as well that is also not intimidated by the potential $1 billion figure that Ottawa could draw.

There is no official date by which the Senators sale is set to be completed, as the process of meeting with and vetting the most qualified buyers continues.

www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/36525936/snoop-dogg-joins-neko-sparks-bid-buy-ottawa-senators

[mikecubs]

Sources: Ryan Reynolds' bid for Senators won't move forward

Actor Ryan Reynolds' bid for the Ottawa Senators is not moving forward, multiple sources close to the process told ESPN.

The NHL declined to comment when reached by ESPN.

Reynolds was attached to a bid to acquire the NHL franchise, led by real estate developer Remington Group. The planned sale of the Senators -- announced in November following the death of longtime owner Eugene Melnyk -- has garnered plenty of interest and is shaping up to become a bidding war among celebrities.

Snoop Dogg announced he is part of a bid led by Los Angeles-based businessman Neko Sparks while The Weeknd is part of a bid by Toronto billionaires Jeffrey and Michael Kimel, according to the Ottawa Sun.

According to sources, Reynolds' request for an exclusive window to complete the deal was denied, which led Reynolds to pull out of the process. The deadline for interested groups to submit final nonbinding offers is May 15.

A recent Forbes valuation put the Senators at $800 million. The Remington Group's bid was believed to be worth more than $1 billion, according to sources.

In December, commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed the league had met with Reynolds about his interest in becoming an NHL owner.

"[Reynolds] very much impressed us," Bettman said at the NHL's board of governors meetings. "If we can figure out a way to have him included, I think that would be great for the Senators and great for the league. ... He's very smart, he has a number of businesses besides the acting business, and he understands sports and he understands promotion. I think he told us his followers on all of his platforms combined was well over 100 million."

Reynolds, who grew up in Canada, confirmed his interest in an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in November.

"I am trying to [buy the team]; it's very expensive, so I need a partner with really deep pockets," Reynolds told Fallon. "It's called a consortium, when you form a group to buy an entity, and it's such a fancy way of saying, 'I need a sugar mommy or a sugar daddy,' and if that doesn't happen, I'll buy a U.S. senator, which everyone can afford."

Reynolds became the co-owner of a fifth-tier English soccer club, Wrexham AFC, alongside actor Rob McElhenney -- an endeavor the two chronicled in a Hulu documentary that has catapulted into success both on and off the pitch for the club.

Last month, Wrexham secured promotion to the Football League after a 15-year absence.

www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/37605017/sources-ryan-reynolds-bid-senators-move-forward