An Ontario Superior Court judge has sided with the city in a provincial court case that aimed to stop the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park.
A group called Friends of Lansdowne is behind the court case, arguing the city broke its own rules when it "sole-sourced" the project to the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG).
The judge was asked to decide whether the city acted in bad faith in approving the contract; whether it illegally gave bonuses to OSEG; and whether it violated its own procurement bylaws.
Justice Charles T. Hackland ruled Thursday that the city and city council acted in good faith when they approved the Lansdowne redevelopment project in June 2010.
The judge found that the city did not participate in unlawful bonusing in contravention with the Municipal Act, and the relevant procurement bylaws were not broken.
Friends of Lansdowne had argued council was misled when it approved the project. However, the judge ruled he did not accept that allegation. He added the contract did not "inappropriately favour OSEG's interest."
The legal proceedings have delayed construction on the project. Shovels were supposed to go into the ground last month.
Ian Lee, with the Friends of Lansdowne, hopes the group will appeal the decision.
"I don't speak on behalf of all of the Friends of Lansdowne, but if you ask me, I hope fervently that we will appeal -- all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. We believe our elected officials violated the law," he said.
If Friends of Lansdowne appeals the decision, construction will likely be delayed once again.
