The new Lansdowne Park, with a rebuilt stadium, public open space, underground parking and a new exhibition hall, is going to cost the city $172.8 million.
Now that all the elements of the Lansdowne Partnership Plan have been identified, city council has started to get a better look into the details surrounding the proposal.
City manager Kent Kirkpatrick gave an overview yesterday on how the retail component, the winning open space design submission, and the stadium will all fit together.
On June 17, city councillors will get a chance to grill the experts hired to consult on the proposal. Members of the public will be able to make their presentations to council on June 24 and 25 before a decision is made on June 28.
Even after that point, there is still a chance the proposal could be cancelled by either the city or the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, before construction starts next spring.
Kirkpatrick said there is a series of conditions and business issues on OSEG and the city that must be in place in order for the proposal to move forward. If one of them doesn’t happen or is not waived, the agreement is over and both parties are responsible for their portion of the funds.
However, if either side decides to walk away for reasons of convenience, it would have to pay for the costs incurred by the other group as well.
Until construction begins, the project will only cost $12.75 million.
Once it begins, the city will have to pay $129.3 million to refurbish the stadium and the civic centre. The south side stands will be totally rebuilt.
The winning urban park design, minus the distinctive pedestrian bridge and man-made island in the Rideau Canal is expected to cost $46 million. City treasurer Marian Simulik said the city is budgeting $35 million for the public space since National Capital Commission, Parks Canada and OSEG are expected to pay for the rest.
