Here’s what you need to know about Lansdowne 2.0

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Ottawa mayor says Lansdowne 2.0 costs have gone down

One-on-one with Mayor Sutcliffe about Lansdowne 2.0

The price tag for Lansdowne 2.0 is $418.8 million, according to Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.

• Price tag for Lansdowne 2.0 sits at $418.8 million

The second phase of the redevelopment at Lansdowne Park includes a new event centre and north-side stands for TD Place, along with two new residential towers.

Here is what you need to know about Lansdowne 2.0.

What is it?

The Lansdowne 2.0 project includes replacing the 57-year-old Civic Centre with a new event centre, and tearing down and replacing the north-side stands at TD Place.

The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group will also build two new residential towers next to the north-side stands at TD Place as part of the development.

Proposed builder

City staff are recommending council approve a contract with EBC Inc. to build the new event centre and north-side stands at TD Place.

A report for the finance and corporate services committee shows their bid was $315.98 million, and the final negotiated fixed price is recommended at $312.82 million.

“EBC Inc. is a Canadian construction industry leader, and is active in the building, mining, and major civil engineering sectors. EBC builds in a responsible, sustainable and equitable manner and is recognized for large-scale projects such as office buildings, hospitals and research centres, educational institutions, residential complexes, hotels, malls, factories and sports and cultural centres,” staff said in the report.

Major projects for EBC include the expansion of the Percival-Molson Stadium in Montreal and the Brossard Aquatic Complex in Brossard, Que. In Ottawa, EBC’s recent building projects included the Ottawa Art Gallery.

According to the city, the other two bids were $316.7 million from Pomerleau and $344 million from Ellis Don.

New Event Centre

The new event centre to replace the aging Civic Centre will be located at the east end of TD Place.

The city initially said it would have 5,500 seats for hockey.

According to a poster at City Hall on Monday, the capacity for the new event centre will be 6,600 for hockey and 7,000 for concerts.

The new event centre will include “purpose built athlete facilities: dedicated dressing rooms, accessible washrooms and showers, team lounges, and training/recovery areas for the Ottawa Charge and Ottawa 67’s,” according to the city.

The city says the new arena will use 36 per cent less energy and there will be a 31 per cent reduction in GHG emissions intensity.

The estimated cost of the event centre is $176.82 million.

The Civic Centre was built in 1967.

New north-side stands

The aging north-side stands at TD Place will be replaced as part of Lansdowne 2.0.

The new north-side stands will have capacity for 12,400 people.

“Improved fan experience: Fan decks, modern amenities, more washrooms, wider concourses and improved flow,” according to the city.

There will be no roof on the new north-side stands.

The estimated cost of the new north-side stands is $119.38 million.

Housing

The Lansdowne 2.0 plan includes two new residential towers next to the north-side stands at Lansdowne.

The city says there will be 770 units for condominiums, rental accommodation, and hotel uses.

Preferred bidder for housing

Staff recommend Toronto-based developer Mirabella Development Corporation as the preferred bidder for the two residential towers and a retail podium.

The concept design includes two residential towers up to 40 storeys in height, with 770 units that could include condos, rental units and a hotel.

“The Mirabella concept is innovative and includes a larger retail podium element allowing for three levels of decked parking between the North Side Stands and the rear of the City-owned retail elements,” staff said. “This decked parking will provide an estimated 180 parking spaces in addition to the 220 subsurface and 140 licensed City spaces.”

Staff recommend council approve an agreement of purchased and sale of air rights with Mirabella Development Corporation for $65 million, with $33.9 million directed to Lansdowne 2.0 and $14.4 million for affordable housing.

Cost

Sutcliffe announced on Monday that the Lansdowne 2.0 will cost $418.8 million, down slightly from the $419 million cost estimate. The costs include $313 million for the new event centre and north-side stands.

The mayor said that after all revenues are accounted for, including $25 million more than expected through the sale of the air rights for the residential towers, the cost to taxpayers is $130 million.

Ottawa is responsible for covering the cost of building the event centre and new football stands. Staff say the city is responsible for any cost overruns for the event centre and north-side stands.

The annual investment for taxpayers is $4.3 million a year compared to the $5 million a year that was budgeted in 2023, the mayor said.

According to the report for the finance and corporate services committee, a 10 per cent contingency is included in the $418.82 million cost estimate for Lansdowne 2.0.

Revenues

According to the City of Ottawa, the Lansdowne 2.0 project will result in $288.2 million in new revenues.

Here is a look at the breakdown of revenues from the city.

• $33.9 million from sale of air rights for residential towers
• $69 million: portion of property tax uplift from mixed use towers
• $44 million from municipal accommodation tax on hotel rooms
• $15 million from ticket surcharges
• $7.7 million from Lansdowne Partnership rent
• $118.4 million: positive cashflow from the partnership with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group

City contribution

Mayor Sutcliffe said taxpayers will spend $130 million on Lansdowne 2.0.

The contributions include:

• $82.7 million: the portion of new debt not funded from new revenues. It will be paid at $4.3 million over 40 years.
• $32.3 million: debenture premium from Lansdowne 1.0 refinancing
• $15.6 million from capital reserves intended for infrastructure renewal.

Construction timeline

The City of Ottawa provides the following timeline for Lansdowne 2.0, if approved by council.

• Phase 1: Event Centre (2025 to 2028)
• Phase 2: North-side stands (2028 to 2030)
• Phase 3: Residential development (after 2030)

The City of Ottawa said major events in the arena and the stadium, the farmers’ market, and the Christmas Market will continue without disruption during construction.