Councillor calls for referendum on Lansdowne 2.0, but mayor opposed

CBC

2 days ago

Social Sharing
As the Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment ticks along behind the scenes, one city councillor tried publicly on Tuesday to explore the idea of a referendum during the 2026 municipal election so residents could ultimately decide whether the new arena and football stands should be built.
Coun. Shawn Menard, who represents the Glebe neighbourhood where Lansdowne Park is located, pointed out that more than 5,000 people have signed a petition calling for a citywide vote on whether to spend upward of $419 million on the project.
The plan is to replace the north-side stands at the football stadium, and to replace the arena with a new one that has thousands fewer seats and is located where there's now a grassy berm. The city's private sector partner at Lansdowne, the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), owns the Redblacks football team and Ottawa 67's hockey team, and manages those city facilities at TD Place.
"That's a nice-to-have. It's not necessary," Menard told reporters after a meeting during which the finance and corporate services committee discussed facing a $10.8-billion dollar funding gap for city infrastructure in the coming decade.
"Do we really want to be spending on this when all these other priorities are there?" asked Menard. "It's hard to get the basics right these days in the city."
The Lansdowne 2.0 concept was first discussed during the last term of council under former mayor Jim Watson, when OSEG was struggling to attract visitors to Lansdowne during the COVID-19 pandemic. The plans have been modified since then, including a two highrise towers instead of three, but the estimated price tag has risen from $332 million to $419 million.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said the public has had many chances to weigh in, and will have yet another opportunity before a final vote this fall.
"We were talking about Lansdowne in 2022 when the previous municipal election took place, so there's no need for a referendum," said Sutcliffe. "I don't think councillors want it."
No referendum was held for other big projects such as the new central library or the two stages of light rail construction, Sutcliffe pointed out, because those decisions are within the purview of council.
Going to tender June 16
Indeed, councillors on the finance and corporate services committee voted nine to three Tuesday to discuss Menard's motion that day, rather than weeks later as Menard intended, because they said it was time-sensitive.
Expecting it would be voted down, Menard quickly jumped in to withdraw his motion and preserve a chance to pursue the referendum discussion later.
This bit of procedural interest came after staff confirmed they plan to put the project out to tender on June 16, seeking construction companies to submit bids to build Lansdowne 2.0. Staff intend to get updated prices and choose a contractor to present to council for final approval in the fall.
The city also held a separate procurement in recent months to find developers wanting to either buy or lease the air rights for two highrise towers. It closed April 30, and the city is deep in negotiations with one preferred bidder.
"I think there's a reputational risk and a credibility risk in this motion where it would possibly negatively impact those conversations and those tenders," said Tammy Rose, general manager of the infrastructure and water services department.
Sutcliffe also underscored the importance of following the procurement process already laid out and not creating uncertainty for the construction industry.
Building permit application in March
Along with tendering the construction and air rights, the Lansdowne 2.0 team has been busy working on other tasks council gave them last year in order to prepare a final package for council approval.
One big goal was to apply for a building permit in time to fall under Ontario's 2012 building code, rather than the 2024 code that took effect Jan. 1.
Sean Moore, who is leading the Lansdowne project for the City of Ottawa, confirmed the application for a building permit went in on March 21, 2025 and would fall under the old code.
The province did allow a transition period and a project could still apply under the old code by March 31 if its working drawings were substantially complete by Dec. 31, 2024.
Site plan approved last month
Moore said those drawings were ready on time as part of yet another related task: getting approval for what's called the "site plan," which lays out details about everything from building elevations and design to landscaping and servicing with municipal water.
That key step only got final signoff by city planning staff on May 26, after the Lansdowne team and its consultants submitted dozens of studies to be reviewed by city subject matter experts and the urban design review panel.
Even with the signoff, city reviewers still had a long list of conditions for Lansdowne 2.0 to meet, such as updating its assessment of Lansdowne's transportation impact and updating its grading plan to show water won't pool.
Asked how the building permit had complete drawings on Dec. 31 when many more studies were submitted and reviews were done afterward, Moore explained the architect's designs were submitted for the arena in August 2024, and for the north-side stands in December.
The structural and mechanical elements needed to meet the building code were complete, he said. As for elements outstanding on the approved site plan, Moore said only final clarifications are missing — an entire transportation plan doesn't need to be redone.
"We're just talking now about crossing t's and dotting i's," explained Moore. "But overall, staff have accepted how it all works in terms of [Lansdowne's] design, and how it's modelled, the transportation system and so forth."