11th-hour Lansdowne Live Challenge...?

Ottawa REDBLACKS
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Sounds like a Glebite with big ideas and no money. I'm kinda surprised the paper's making a big deal about this.

Lansdowne Live up against 11th-hour challenge
Businessman wants design competition, calls for stadium at Bayview Yards

[url=http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Lansdowne+Live+against+11th+hour+challenge/1910332/story.html]http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainm ... story.html[/url]

By Maria Cook, The Ottawa Citizen
August 20, 2009 12:02 AM

[i]OTTAWA -- An Ottawa businessman hopes to overturn the Lansdowne Live proposal and re-open an ideas competition for Lansdowne Park with an alternative vision to be presented next week to decision-makers.

John E. Martin invited politicians, government officials, architects, developers and community leaders to a private breakfast meeting next Thursday, Aug. 27, to see architectural drawings, hear expert speakers and perhaps be persuaded.

Martin says a new stadium and library/cultural centre should be constructed at Bayview Yards, while Lansdowne Park should be developed for public enjoyment of parkland and water.

“The concept is about light and space and areas of tranquility and to get there by opening up the imaginations of architects and designers through open competitive bidding,? says Martin, founder of a new advocacy group called Vitally Ottawa — Absolument Ottawa.

A stadium, designed for soccer and football, makes more sense at Bayview than at Lansdowne Park because of traffic and parking, he says.

“To attract the Gatineau population from across the river, clearly it is much easier to just hop over the bridge to the Bayview site than it is to try and push through downtown Ottawa.

“Rapid transit is key to the success of the stadium and will provide the maximum access to the library that the Ottawa Public Library wants for its new location.?

Bayview would also give the library “views and light and quiet.?

At Lansdowne Park, he envisions “renewable energy, music, calm, cooler micro-climate, integration of the canal and opening up the site from the waterway.?

It could have a natural grass amphitheatre, winter tobogganing, a public swimming pool, water taxis, farmer’s market and community sports fields.

Frank Clair Stadium at Lansdowne Park should be demolished, but the other structures upgraded, including the hockey arena and trade space, he says.

The Lansdowne Live proposal, which goes to city council Sept. 2, offers to rehabilitate Frank Clair stadium in exchange for land for residential and commercial development.

Martin talks about the “respectful use? of materials from Frank Clair Stadium, soil rehabilitation at Bayview Yards and use of energy technologies to achieve the highest environmental building standards.

“This is my dream, my goal and that of many others,? says Martin, owner of GlebeOnsite Computer Solutions. He hopes “to demonstrate the practical, affordable and vital initiatives that can take place in a competitive environment.?

John Leys, of Sherwood Engineering, a firm with offices in San Francisco and New York City, will present a case study of turning a brownfield site into a stadium in San Francisco. There will also be discussion of former contaminated rail yards in Montreal being rehabilitated for a hospital.

“The Bayview Yards, a former rail yard, has been maligned as not being a site to develop due to its contamination,? he says.

“Through the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, we have a case study that directly applies.?

A design competition for Lansdowne was shelved last year by council to consider an offer from the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, headed by Roger Greenberg of Minto, Bill Shenkman of Shenkman Development, John Ruddy of Trinity Development Group and Jeff Hunt, owner of the Ottawa 67’s. The four men are conditional holders of a new CFL franchise.

Martin said the meeting was a private and closed function by invitation-only with no media or recording devices.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen[/i]

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The lady who wrote that runs a blog on the Citizen about urban design. while she doesnt' come right out and say that she's opposed to Lansdowne live (that I've seen), she constantly posts comments from anyone who finds it flawed.

She must be tight with this guy, because she's always including his comments. Not just as responses, but he'll get his own blog entries. Regardless, he's no one, and this will likely result in just another way for them to claim preferential treatment when the mayor doesn't drop everything he's doing to attend this.

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What a joke, these people are desperate to stop Landsdowne Live.............give me a break "Vitally Ottawa ".....lol
I predicted that there would be a last minute stalling tactic. There's no doubt that Doucet and his crowd will challenge this now and say there has to be a delay to review this new proposal.

Of course Bayview yards would make a good site and people from Gatineau could hop on a high speed rail line and get to the stadium fast. But its all about "Show Me the Money" who would pay for a new stadium and rail line? Landsdowne Live is the only proposal that has money behind it. Just get on with it!!!!

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I’ve seen this guy on Maria Cook’s blog and he keeps saying that if Greenberg and company really love as much as they say, they’ll build wherever the city tells them to.

Which makes no sense, of course. That’s like saying that if you realy love owning your own restaurant, you’ll build it wherever other people decide you should, even if it hurts your revenue stream. Besides, in the Lansdowne Live Q&A, they point blank state that this is NOT all about football, so way to hold them to a standard that they didn’t set.

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Maria Cook whores this further:

[url=http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/designingottawa/archive/2009/08/19/breakfast-meeting-aims-to-make-lansdowne-live-toast.aspx]http://communities.canada.com/ottawacit ... toast.aspx[/url]

Surprise! Councillors are busy at 7:15AM. :lol:

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Ha, what a surprise, his stadium drawing is too small to accomodate a Canadian football field.

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Any way you cut it, we have a capital of a very wealthy nation with an embarrasement for a football, whatever kind of football, stadium and that's sad considering football, whatever kind, is the world's most popular sport.

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Just heard that the Ottawa RoughRiders are in talks with these 2 man to QB the new RoughRiders....pictured below

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Frank Clair Stadium at Lansdowne Park should be demolished, but the other structures upgraded, including the hockey arena and trade space, he says.
Wow, that sounds fair ... demolish the football stadium but keep everything else. Please. :roll:
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Someone made an interesting point in a letter today, I think it wsa to the Citizen.

We often hear that no matter where the stadium is, fans would go no matter what if we're real fans. The writer asked why the farmer's market (or any other component, for that matter) should be treated differently. In other words, if you love going to a specific convention, then you should go whether they hold it at Lansdowne Park or some new facility at Bayview. If you enjoy a farmer's market so much, there's a giant grass field at Bayview that could easily be turned into one. Surely you would go if you love it that much.

Good argument. You can be damn sure I'm going to steal it.

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Makes sense to me CRF.

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Well you are right football is the world’s most popular sport, but the football that you refer to is Soccer. Not sure what you mean by “wealthy nation with an embarrasement for a football…”???

The announcement today from Ottawa councillor Rick Chirelli is that Ottawa will get a professional soccer. That is great news for Landsdowne Live that will silence the critics that say a stadium shouldn’t be built for CFL football alone.
I think the project will be full speed ahead, I’m still going with my prediction that the Hamilton Tiger Cats will re-locate to Ottawa. As a Cat fan living in Ottawa I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

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That's super mike that Ottawa will be getting a stadium for both gridiron, which I love, and soccer, which I don't love but understand it's popular and is football afterall.

All I'm saying is that for a city like Ottawa with a metro pop of over 1,000,000 as I understand it, they should be making plans for some sort of a football stadium, gridiron/soccer combo. Hey, the city is getting there, it's a process I get it and I apologize for saying or suggesting Ottawa isn't getting there with the plans and saying it's an embarrasment as it is now, that's not fair as I realize things of this magnitude take some time. In the end, Ottawa can really be a benchmark in Canada with a refurbished Lansdowne site or new site on how to combine both gridiron and soccer football into one fantastic stadium and I think you guys will lead the way, well, for a while until us guys in Hamilton do one up on you in this regard! :wink:

Ottawa and Hamilton will show the TFC and MLSE people that a proper combo stadium can be great for both forms of football and I will love that to no end!!

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Is it possible this clown is on Melnyk's staff?

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Except it should be a primarily football first/friendly stadium as the soccer people are carpetbaggers at best.
Only if the Hunt group goes out and get a USL team to add dates does this make sense.
After all the USL/MSL shelf life has nearly expired.

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Agree argotom, to be brutally honest I could care less about soccer and can't stand watching it but we do need to work with the soccer people because it is popular with the ethnics and those sorts that understand the game from a spectator point of view. We should not resort to Melynk type and NHL type name calling but be classy and always say we welcome the soccer people and work with them. That's the way this should work IMHO.

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It’s too bad that we are not like the UK, the goverment built a new Wembley stadium in London a “national stadium” but I don’t think taxpayers would like the price tag $1billion!! The stadium is soccer only. They are also building an Olympic stadium.

But I think the private/partnership proposal in Ottawa is the way to go. With Hunt running the show its a win win situation.

It’s too bad that Hamilton is putting all its hopes on the Pan Am games. I would like to have seen some type of private/public partnership on the waterfront in Hamilton.

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t's too bad that Hamilton is putting all its hopes on the Pan Am games. I would like to have seen some type of private/public partnership on the waterfront in Hamilton.

Yes, agree. Without the Pan-Am Games and new stadium, I fear that Bob Young may sell the team quicker than what he might have should Hamilton and Toronto area be awarded the games. But Hamilton city council would deserve this to some extent building an NHL type arena with no NHL team knowing the problems MLSE would cause and not putting all that money into a new football stadium in Hamilton for a team we did have, in a location different than where IWS is.

At any rate, let's wait and see, Bob Young has been great and isn't making any money and is losing money I'm sure on this team right now, without him maybe no TiCats right now. So I better watch what I say but really. But you are absolutely right about the hopes of the Pan-Am Games. In some respects, city council in Hamilton deserves to lose the TiCats, and that would be shameful.

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Yes, but i have read and heard Bob Young say he will become financially involved as a partner in the venture.
And since he has the cake, thoroughout he has been a man of his word and is an upstanding individual.

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No question he is a man of his word argotom, hey I love the guy, he basically saved the TiCats. The Pan-Am Games is all good and I would do the same in his case waiting to see if some gov't funds flow Hamilton's way. But I think mikem does make a good point to some extent that basically what happens if the Pan-Am Games bid falls through?