City Hall Ottawa’s stadium debate should be settled by next week.
Proponents for both the soccer stadium in Kanata and the football stadium at Lansdowne Park will make their pitch to the city’s finance and planning committees Monday.
Council votes on the issue Wednesday.
Mayor Larry O’Brien said he wants the priority for the city to be on fixing Lansdowne Park, including a new arena for the Ottawa 67’s, maintaining trade show space, and improving Bank Street.
Any developments at Lansdowne will have to honour the 67’s lease for the Civic Centre that guarantees 2,200 parking spots.
“We can’t do anything at Lansdowne before 2012 without co-operating with the Lansdowne Live Group,” O’Brien said.
“From that perspective we would have to engage in discussion to see what we could accomplish in a manner that would be tax neutral for citizens.”
Randy Burgess, vice-president of the Ottawa 67’s Hockey Club, said they are focusing on going forward with the Lansdowne Live proposal and would not comment on other alternatives before council makes its decision.
