NCC: Senators talks moving forward, no timeline yet

The National Capital Commission is confident talks with the Ottawa Senators over a new downtown arena at LeBreton Flats are progressing, though no timeline has emerged for breaking ground.

More than 10 months have passed since Senators owner Michael Andlauer and his partners agreed in principle to purchase 11 acres from the NCC. The purchase price is $37 million, but finalizing the deal has involved working through decontamination plans, Indigenous consultation, site design, and financing — each a significant piece.

NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum told the Ottawa Citizen on June 23 that meetings between the two sides continue regularly. "There is nothing worrying about the fact that it wasn't on the agenda," Nussbaum said after the NCC's annual public board meeting. "The meetings between the teams continue on a regular basis. Their work, on the Senators' side, is on the due diligence portion of this agreement. We're also talking to them about the decontamination plan."

Decontamination looms as a significant hurdle. It is expected to be expensive and lengthy, though Senators CEO Cyril Leeder has said cleanup could begin in conjunction with construction. Once the team starts building, Leeder predicted a 34-month timeline to completion.

Andlauer has described the project as far more than just an arena. "It's a whole development. The arena, actually, in my opinion, is going to be a small part of the whole development," he said earlier this month. Local developers speculate the site could host six or seven structures, potentially including housing to help finance the rink.

Nussbaum said the Senators are also in discussions with the City of Ottawa, which has a role in planning and approvals. "I want to give the Senators a chance to be in control of that time frame and what they're communicating," Nussbaum said.