Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday, September 29, 2007It looks like we have a winner for LansdowneThe future of Lansdowne Park is back on the radar screen at City Hall. During my eight months as Chief of Staff to the Mayor, not a month would go by without some group heading in to see staff in the Mayor’s office with artist renderings in hand to promote their solution to save Lansdowne. From underground casinos to majestic boulevards to low-rise condos and all forms of parking configurations, the ideas were endless. Now we learn that Ottawa 67s owner Jeff Hunt has teamed with local real-estate firms Minto, Shenkman and Trinity Development Group with an ambitious – and from what we’ve seen so far – doable proposal to transform Lansdowne Park. Unfortunately and perhaps inevitably, the local ward councillor was predictably quick off the mark spewing Stallinist rhetoric of profiteering and land speculation. Fortunately, the future of Lansdowne – a city-wide asset – is a debate in which all councillors will participate. No doubt the arguments will be passionate as this decision will affect the neighbouring communities, all Ottawa taxpayers and generations to come. Before debating the merits of the Hunt/Minto et al proposal, councillors and citizens should consider the following as context to guide their forthcoming debate.To start, Lansdowne Park is not a park. It is 40-acres of undeveloped land littered with slabs of concrete, a few heritage buildings, a Leave it to Beaver-era crumbling sports stadium. The entire complex continues to languish under money-losing – read $1.5 million annually – and averse-to-opportunity public management. It is a triangular urban eyesore that abuts a UNESCO world heritage site (the canal) on its hypotenuse and historic Bank Street and the Glebe on its other two sides. Surely, all can agree that the status quo is unacceptable. Next up is the present push by Councillors Hume and Doucet to stage an international design competition similar to Toronto’s effort to modernize Nathan Phillips Square. This effort is equivalent to buying a lottery ticket; you can only dream when the money is free. But here’s the rub: the City of Ottawa has no money to refurbish Lansdowne Park. And even if we could secure provincial and/or federal infrastructure money, the priorities of mass transit, transportation, affordable housing, refurbishing water and sewage systems and so on all take precedence over any schemes for Lansdowne.Previous city council policies with respect to urban growth and development were prescient and provide guideposts so Council can make a reasoned decision on Lansdowne’s future in short order. New development should be consistent with the principles of smart growth which include residential intensification, walkable communities, good access for mass transit, natural sound barriers and greenspace. This is simply good community planning and makes eminent sense.Which brings us to the Hunt/Minto proposal for Lansdowne Park. We should not underestimate the importance of established and reputable local families with substantial commercial interests wanting to redevelop Lansdowne. This alone should provide a measure of assurance for council and all citizens as to the integrity and credibility of the proposal in question. While more detail and diligence are necessary, at first blush, this proposal passes all tests of smart growth. To strengthen the case, I would suggest incorporating green roofs, organic construction materials where practical, public performance/ gathering spaces and better-fleshed-out bus (and potential LRT or subway) access into the proposal. And the proponents need to answer the real and fundamental traffic-flow questions during conferences or athletic events, not only for the affected residents around Lansdowne but for spectators/fans who don’t want to sit in their vehicles for an hour after an event. For its part, Council should execute a 66-, 75- or 99-year lease arrangement with whoever redevelops Lansdowne to turn its $1.5 million annual loss into a guaranteed annual property tax revenue stream of $15 million or more. Again, on this count, the Hunt/Minto proposal stands up very well.Turning to the whole issue of a CFL franchise, again, the present proposal strikes the right balance. While the CFL has made great strides and die-hard Ottawa football fans have been burned too many times, partners Roger Greenberg, William Shenkman, John Ruddy and Mr. Hunt are thinking with their heads first and not their hearts, which is a refreshing change from past approaches, especially when professional sports are in the mix. Their idea for a revamped Frank Clair stadium with contiguous bowl seating in the endzones which will also replace the decaying south side stands is sound, not only for football, but for future soccer matches (remember the success of this summer’s FIFA U-20 tournament) concerts and other stadium-oriented events. And their plan for corporate boxes and modernization of the Civic Centre is long overdue.City council now has a rare opportunity to make a decision on the future of Lansdowne Park. The present proposal is community-driven, consistent with city development policies, transforms an abused city asset, is a win for local residents and all taxpayers and is a forward-looking step worthy of our status as the Capital city of a G-8 nation. Now is not the time for lethargy, socialist rhetoric, or filibustering debate. Now is the time for leadership, sound reasoning and forward-focused decisions. |