Glebe Community Association (GCA), the voice of the Glebe community in Ottawa, Canada

GCA Committees

Lansdowne

Committee Chair:

June Creelman

GCA Lansdowne Motions

Motions passed by the Board of the Glebe Community Association on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 concerning the Lansdowne Partnership Plan
Read the motions here...

Lansdowne Live-conditionally approved

City Council today voted to conditionally proceed with the Lansdowne Partnership Plan (LPP).
Approval of the plan is conditional upon the following items:

Completion of a final review of financial projections, including analysis by the Office of the Auditor General.
Completion of transportation studies and supporting Transportation Demand Management plans to determine whether or not traffic and parking can be reasonably accommodated, and that the transportation strategy will work as anticipated.
Establish a Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel for the development of a Master Site Plan for Lansdowne Revitalization.
Execute an independent third-party peer review of the two different market studies from Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) and the Bank Street BIA to determine whether or not the commercial plan is viable, and that retail is complementary and supportive of the existing Bank Street retail business community.
Immediately initiate a Request for Expressions of Interest for the construction and operation of a Trade and Consumer Show facility in Ottawa.
Initiate a competition for the design of the "front yard" including the Ottawa Farmers' Market, Horticultural Building and the Aberdeen Pavilion and that the design competition include a detailed public consultation process, in partnership with the National Capital Commission and Parks Canada, on the proposed redevelopment of the "front yard."
Assisting the Central Canada Exhibition Association (CCEA) in completing the business and logistical plans necessary for the CCEA's move to a new location on Albion Road following the exhibition in 2010.

"Council's direction means that staff and OSEG will now concentrate their efforts on negotiating a project agreement framework and on completing the additional work required to assist Council in its decision regarding the LPP," said City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick. "This includes evaluating the business terms, developing the corporate governance, refining the development concept, completing agreements with third parties and developing a detailed public consultation process with the National Capital Commission (NCC) and Parks Canada on the proposed redevelopment of the front lawn."

In June 2010, staff will report back to Council with the results of the negotiations and additional studies for a final decision on the implementation of the LPP. Council will vote on whether or not to enter into a project agreement after reviewing the negotiated terms for finance, transportation, parking, market studies, heritage and the agreement framework.

Following a decision by Council to enter into a project agreement, the City and OSEG will focus on critical planning approvals, detailed design issues, completion of the project agreements, and all other approvals with external agencies and third parties. Work on the final design and construction of the project would begin in March 2011 and be completed by May 2014.

Lansdowne Partnership Plan Implementation Report

City staff are recommending approval of the Lansdowne Partnership Plan conditional on completing additional work in three stages.

Stage One to be completed by May 2010 activities move the LPP forward to a point where Council can make a final decision to enter into a project agreement. The activities focus on evaluating the business terms, negotiating the project agreement framework, developing the corporate governance, refining the development concept, completing agreements with third parties and other special tasks. The necessary work to complete Stage One is estimated to cost $2,335,000 with the City's share at $1,132,500 and OSEG $1,202,500. The City's portion of Stage One costs can be funded from existing Lansdowne Park capital retrofit projects without creating a budget pressure in 2009 or 2010.

Stage Two from May 2010 to March 2011 would address the critical planning approvals and detailed design issues. Stage Three of the Implementation Plan involves the Final Design and Construction Period and would commence after March 2011. The final completion date is forecasted to be May 2014.

See the Complete Implementation Report

Auditor General Report

The audit of the Lansdowne Park process has been tabled. The conclusion is that the proposal "represents a sole source response to an unsolicited bid.... However, no contravention of the Purchasing By-Law has occurred."

"What can also be concluded is that the current proposal does not fully comply with the conditions Council placed on the solution and contains a number of elements that remain undeveloped and which could significantly affect the viability of the project. Nevertheless, Council may determine that the current proposal is acceptable. In making this decision, it may be prudent to re-visit the conditions Council has placed on the negotiations and consider whether an approach that does not meet all of them is still satisfactory."

See the Auditor General Report