At least 50 groups, from athletes and economists to community associations and private citizens, are presenting their views on Ottawa's two competing stadium bids to city councillors on Monday - as are the developers themselves.
Coun. Rick Chiarelli believes he has enough votes to steer the city towards negotiating with the Lansdowne Live partnership that wants to redevelop Lansdowne Park and bring professional football back to Ottawa.
Coun. Jan Harder will present a motion Monday afternoon to proceed with the Lansdowne Live option and order staff to negotiate a deal over the next few months.
"The CFL is not complete until we are back in the nation's capital," league commissioner Mark Cohon told a joint committee meeting during his presentation Monday morning.
Mayor Larry O'Brien has also thrown his weight behind "Lansdowne Live," dealing a blow to hopes for a Kanata soccer stadium proposed by Ottawa Senators' owner Eugene Melnyk to attract a Major League Soccer franchise.
Both sides addressed the city on Monday.
For Lansdowne Live, Minto head Roger Greenberg: "We believe that locating an open-air stadium in the heart of the downtown area is consistent with the city's growth management principles."
For the soccer plan, Senators COO Cyril Leeder: "Our proposal is based on having ample parking, sufficient use of the highway, (and) mass transit. Our site is in the long-range master plan, and is a cost-effective site without competing uses."
Under the Lansdowne scenario being proposed by Chiarelli, Melnyk and the Senators would be offered land and money to build a soccer stadium. But Leeder called the plan speculative and would not comment.
Councillors are scheduled to formally vote on the two proposals on Wednesday. Neither stadium would receive federal infrastructure stimulus funding because of higher priorities such as transit, city manager Kent Kirkpatrick told councillors.
June Creelman of the Glebe Community Association said Lansdowne Live "makes a mockery of public process" and would provide few public benefits for taxpayers.
Her group wants council to set aside both proposals and instruct city staff to study other options.
Prominent Rough Rider alumni Bob McKeown, Jock Climie, and Mark Cosmos also appeared to support football's return to the Glebe.
"All of us have one thing in common and that is Lansdowne Park," McKeown said. "I still remember how it felt and smelled and sounded.
"It can be great again. The most important part about Lansdowne is that tradition and history."
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Vanessa Lee
