City, OSEG to rework spaces meant for Ottawa Charge at new Lansdowne event centre

An artist rendering of the Ottawa Charge dressing room at the proposed Event Centre at Lansdowne. (City of Ottawa/website)

City of Ottawa staff say excavation of the site where the future event centre at Lansdowne Park will be built is nearly complete, six months into construction, and aboveground work could start within the next couple of months.

In the meantime, spaces meant to be dedicated to the Ottawa Charge Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) team will be redesigned, following an announcement that the team will play at the Canadian Tire Centre.

“Construction is now well underway on the first phase of the project, centered on the new Event Centre,” said Infrastructure and Water Services general manager Tammy Rose in a memo to city council on Tuesday.

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“Significant progress has been made, with major site preparation and early construction milestones largely complete. At the same time, the city continues to prioritize safe access to the site, coordination with ongoing programming, and clear communication with the public.”

Rose said the excavation of the site of the future arena is 95 per cent complete and foundation construction is underway. New underground utilities installed beneath the north side of TD Place to support future facilities, including sanitary services and emergency power, and two tower cranes have installed, marking the transition toward aboveground construction, which is slated to before the end of September.

Charge-branded spaces to be reworked

The PWHL announced earlier this month that the Ottawa Charge signed a multi-year agreement with the Ottawa Senators to play home games at the 18,000-seat Canadian Tire Centre instead of at Lansdowne Park, where the team played its first three seasons.

The smaller footprint of the new event centre at Lansdowne Park was a source of friction between the PWHL and the city during the crucial final votes on the Lansdowne 2.0 project. The Charge averaged approximately 7,300 fans during its games at TD Place last season, but the new event centre arena is planned to have a maximum capacity of 6,500.

Rose said in light of the PWHL’s recent announcement to play at the CTC, the city is working with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) to review options to “optimize team-dedicated spaces within the new Event Centre that were originally intended for the Ottawa Charge to support tenant and guest experiences.”

There was no mention of what kinds of plans are being discussed.

Almost $60 million spent so far

Rose said the project remains on schedule, with the future event centre slated to be completed by the summer of 2028 and substantial completion of the north-side stands at TD Place Stadium by the end of 2030.

The project also remains on budget, Rose said.

“As of this reporting period, approximately six months into construction, the Lansdowne 2.0 project remains within the approved budget framework. Costs and contingencies incurred to date align with the current stage of design and construction progress,” she said.

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Of the $418.8 million earmarked for the new event centre and north-side stands, Rose says $59.5 million has been spent so far, or about 14 per cent of the total budget.

“As with all large-scale construction projects, work continues to be closely monitored for potential risks, including unforeseen site conditions and the complexity of coordinating construction within an active site,” Rose said.