Sutcliffe: LeBreton Flats 'not the only scenario' for NHL rink
Ottawa's mayor says although LeBreton Flats would be a great location for a new rink for the Ottawa Senators, there are other possible locations for a new NHL arena in the city.
"I think all options are on the table," Mark Sutcliffe told TSN 1200 on Thursday. "It would be great if the LeBreton thing went ahead, but it's not the only scenario."
The sale of the Senators is heating up, with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman saying last week that initial offers were complete and the number of bidders would be winnowed down. Where the Senators play will be a major decision for whoever buys the team.
The Senators reached a memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission last year aimed at putting an arena on LeBreton Flats, just west of downtown Ottawa. The site is located directly on the city's LRT line between two stations.
But Sutcliffe said although it would be a "great location," the rink doesn't necessarily have to go there.
"I'm open to whatever makes sense, and I think there are other opportunities," he said.
"Obviously the LeBreton site is great in terms of its proximity to transit, but there are other sites close to transit," he said. "Where the baseball stadium is right now, near Hurdman station, Bayview Yards…there are all kinds of places that are close to transit that you could see building event centres and facilities that large numbers of people would use."
Sutcliffe is scheduled to meet with Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly when they visit Ottawa on Monday.
Sutcliffe said a new arena would "ideally" be located downtown, but not necessarily.
"It all depends on where it would be built and what the deal would be and what would be around it," he said. "I think we've seen throughout North America that downtown arenas are better than suburban arenas, typically. But I wouldn't rule out the possibility that whoever the new owners are might decide that they want to stay in Kanata and refurbish that arena.
"I wouldn't rule out the deal being struck with the NCC for LeBreton Flats and I wouldn't rule out looking at another location as well. I think all options are on the table."
Bettman also said last week it would be up to the new owners whether they stay in Kanata or build a new arena.
LeBreton 'not right downtown'
Sutcliffe also said that although the LeBreton Flats land sits between two transit stations, "it's not right downtown."
"If you live in Kanata, LeBreton Flats feels downtown. But if you're downtown, it's not walking distance from Elgin Street for most people, especially in January," he said.
And the mayor said that although the area will get built up, right now there's not a lot around there in terms of entertainment.
"That area, if there's an arena, will get built up. But when the arena opens there may not be a lot around it in terms of restaurants, and bars and other activities," he said. "It's a good location, but it's not the only location necessarily."
Bettman said last week the process of winnowing down the number of interested parties would take “a matter of weeks.”
Sports business news publication Sportico reported earlier this month that nine different groups submitted bids to buy the franchise, with some valuing the team north of $900 million U.S.
The prospective owners include Montreal Canadiens minority owner Michael Andlauer and a consortium including actor Ryan Reynolds and Toronto-based real estate company The Remington Group, Sportico reported.
City money for arena 'very, very, very unlikely'
Sutcliffe reiterated that he's "not a fan" of public money going into an arena, but added he doesn't want to rule it out because it's too early.
"I'm not a fan of public money going into an arena. I wouldn't be supportive of that in principle," he said. "I'm not ruling anything out at this point, because we don't know what the scenario will be and what the opportunity might be."
The mayor raised the example of a facility with more than one rink or other infrastructure that the city could use.
"I wouldn't rule out a scenario where there are some city dollars going into it." He said. "But I want to be clear: By saying I'm not ruling it out, it doesn't mean I'm in favour of it.
"I think that's very, very, very unlikely that the city will write a big cheque to support this. We have a very tight budget and we have a lot of other priorities. There are other ways that the city can be involved in this without stroking a big cheque.
"I don't think there's a lot of public appetite for taxpayers' dollars to go into an arena. So I don't see that happening, but again, I don't want to rule anything out."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.