The public will learn more detail today about the two competing proposals for development at Lebreton Flats.
CFRA's Evan Solomon has learned Eugene Melnyk and the Ottawa Senators plan to have an Event Centre built with the first Senators game held in 2021. It will be hosted in an "Event Centre" capable of seating 18,000 and worth billions of dollars. The plan is to host 50 games and 100 other events each year . The building will be encased in glass with underground parking. Solomon reports Eugene Melnyk's backers will take complete responsibility of cleaning up pollution on the site with a price tag of $300-million with no government money from any level.
The 53-acre site will host an arena with ice pads, a library and archives building, hotels, residences and shops. It's a 25-year project along the Ottawa River. Solomon says, "No roads next to it, it will be all pedestrian, a retail-condo spot". There will also be a large public square capable of holding 28,000 people and linked to Festival Plaza, an open space that hosts Bluesfest.
We'll also learn more from the competing DCDLS group that includes Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, Montreal businessman Andre Desmarais as well as JDS Uniphase founder Bill Sinclair and the Mierans autogroup that owns dealerships throughout eastern Ontario.
The public can view the proposals at the Canadian War Museum today and Wednesday. CFRA's Ottawa Now will be there live from 2 until 6 p.m. today and we'll have more with CTV Chief Anchor, Graham Richardson at six.
