The Ottawa Senators have taken another big step toward a new arena close to downtown.
On Monday afternoon, the Senators finalized an agreement to buy roughly 11 acres of land at LeBreton Flats to build a new NHL arena and events centre, just 2 kilometres away from Parliament Hill. The proposed building would be located just off Albert Street, and naturally, the Sens would be its main tenant.
That parcel of land is considerably bigger than the six acres that were being offered up by the National Capital Commission early in the discussions. The lack of land was one of the few details that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman expressed mild concern about in his past conversations with the media.
Monday's agreement was reached between the NCC and Capital Sports Development Inc (CSDI), which is run by Sens ownership. Their new deal lays out obligations for both parties on items like decontamination of the LeBreton soil and building of infrastructure elements.
With the deal in place, the project now slides into its next phase, which will involve things like zoning, design, and regulatory approvals.
Senators President and CEO Cyril Leeder says the organization is pleased with today's next step in the process, but reminds fans that it's not the final step.
“There are still many more hurdles to clear and we look forward to working with the NCC and other stakeholders to achieve our shared vision of creating an event centre at LeBreton Flats that can be enjoyed by our Ottawa-Gatineau community,” Leeder said in a team press release on Monday afternoon.
Tobi Nussbaum, the Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, was also quoted in today's press release:
“The promise of a major events centre will provide a lively and convenient attraction for residents and visitors, inject new energy and excitement into the core of the Nation’s Capital and further catalyze the development of LeBreton Flats. This agreement builds on the two previous real estate transactions completed by the NCC since 2022 on the Building LeBreton project that will see over 2000 new housing units along with new retail and commercial spaces built on the site.”
Assuming they reach the finish line, the sites will be, according to the NCC website, within a five-minute walk from two light-rail stations on the O-Train Confederation Line (Pimisi and Bayview stations). It remains to be seen how much parking will be available at the events centre.
The expansion Senators played for a few seasons downtown at the Civic Centre before heading for the suburbs and a new building in Kanata, where they've been since 1996.
By Steve Warne
This article originally appeared on The Hockey News website: Senators Reach Agreement To Buy Land At LeBreton, Move Closer To New Arena
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