Anyone have an update on the stadium in Ottawa? Last I recall, there was supposed to be some decision by Ottawa city council on it in August...like the 22nd???
Any news would be much appreciated.
The half of it that was still standing is still standing, untouched.
Meanwhile, back in Council chambers, Ottawa's councillors are locked in a death battle over what to order for lunch on May 22.
That it is now August 17 was noted but dismissed as irrelevant to the carrying out of their civic duties.
Shocking I know, but there's been a slight delay with that vote. It will be now be pushed to September 2nd (from August 26th).
There's nothing to cause any of us to think that things are not going well. The loudest critic on city council is being shot down at every turn. He's complained to the Ontario premier and had has gotten nowhere. He has tried to convince the auditor-general to look into whether the process was appropriate and that got nowhere as well. The best he's got going on is some lame petition from the local NIMBY's.
The vote was 14-9 last time and I see nothing to change that. I believe that is one person short because a councillor chose not to vote (his daughter works for the Senators so he felt there was a conflict of interest in choosing between Lansdowne Live and Melnyk's soccer pipe dream). I don't know if he'll vote this time since Melnyk isn't in the picture, but if he does my understanding is that he's totally behind Lansdowne Live. There was some concern that the mayor (also for LL) might not be availabel because he was on trial, but that has ended so his vote won't be lost.
There are some people trying to plan a rally at Lansdowne Park to match the one the so-called "Friends of Lansdowne" had where they got together to save their park. The claimed to have 500 in attendance for that so I'd like to see that surpassed. They have to set a specific date though, but after this September 2nd vote, there's supposed to be a 3-week public consultation, so any time in there would be pretty good.
Thanks for the update CRF, things sound promising.
thanks CRF…yeah…surprise, surprise…another delay! Keep us posted.
The drag of it is that I'll be out of town on September 2nd, at a cottage. My folks will drop by and I asked my dad to bring his laptop so I can follow the proceedings online.
That should go over well with the wife. :thup:
In November 2009 Council will appoint a committee to form a commitee to take recomendations for the next year. In 2011 Council will appoint another committee to study the first committee's findings. The second commitee will write a report and submit to council that have been already ajourned for six months. Council will then put the recomendations to the Provincial Government who will form a commitee to study the report by the second commitee on the first commitee's recomendations. They'll then refer it back for study, but members of the first commitee will be dead due to old age and a new commitee will have to be re-formed to start all over again.
With any luck, we could see football back in Ottawa by 2020........... 
Stupid is as stupid does... seems fitting hearing about this city council
Conveniently0timed blog entry off the Ottawa Citizen:
[url=http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/bulldog/archive/2009/08/18/lansdowne-redesign-plan-near-completion.aspx]http://communities.canada.com/ottawacit ... etion.aspx[/url]Negotiations on a redesigned Lansdowne Park are moving ahead rapidly. So quickly in fact that College Councillor Rick Chiarelli expects there will be a motion ready for the Sept. 9 council meeting.That motion is likely to begin the process of public consultations on a completed plan, Chiarelli said today. Consultant Graham Bird in conjunction with city staff and the principals behind Lansdowne Live! are about to come to an agreement on a new plan; one which Chiarelli says is a more equitable partnership between the private developers and the city government.
Bird was hired because of his technical expertise and political savvy, both of which are necessary to push the plan through council, Chiarelli said.
Chiarelli declined to release the new details or cost of the plan or the pecuniary relationship between Lansdowne Live! and the city.
Chiarelli and Mayor Larry O’Brien are actively lobbying councillors at present to garner support for the new Lansdowne project. He said there is the possibility that rogue motions could be introduced at council in September to quickly approve or kill the project.
Huh…9th?
Well, if that’s the case, at least I won’t have to risk the second half of my vacation! 
My god, what a ridiculous process. How can there still be more public consulation to come??? And you just know there will be more motions coming from a council that from the outside looking in, appears to be the most fractured in Canada.
How the hell does the garbage even get picked up in that town??!!
I like that first line in the blog entry. Negotiations are moving “rapidly”. Sure…after a 60 day extension. :lol:
I think the problem is in two parts:
a) There is no real process in place for something like this, so they’re making it up as they go along (and that’s not an admission that a Design Competition would have been better if you’re reading this and your name is Clive Doucet).
b) They’re scared of being wrong. Public opinion of council is not real good (imagine!) and botching this would do them no favours.
Lastly, I thin I have a man crush on this Chiarelli guy. He’s really been a champion for this of late. :thup:
As long as we’re admitting our Lansdowne Live man-crushes, you can’t beat Roger Greenberg lol
...And just when you thought this thing couldn't take any longer or take any more twists we ge this:
LANDSDOWNE LIVE UP AGAINST 11th-HOUR CHALLENGE
Businessman wants design competition, calls for stadium at Bayview Yards
By Maria Cook, The Ottawa CitizenAugust 20, 2009
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
An idea to re-open a transparent, open process...unveiled during a PRIVATE breakfast. :roll:
This guy's a nobody. :thdn: If anybody attends, it'll be the usual circle-jerkers.
Notice the guys’s business name? “GlebeOnSite Computer Solutions”. For those who don’t know Ottawa, guess which existing stadium is in the Glebe? Right, Lansdowne. Guess where a small but vocal minority don’t want a park in their back yards? Right, the Glebe. Can’t help but think that this is just a last-ditch attempt by some local residents to get Lansdowne Live off track. Good luck with that … not.
Oh great, another red herring. I agree, sounds like this guy is a Glebe resident, whose life has been continually made difficult because of all the pro football being played at Lansdowne. Yeah right. God, What a joke.
Not to be defeatist, but the way the Ottawa city council has reacted to other red herrings like these, we'll be lucky if there is a decision on this by 2015.
Me thinks this guy is on the Melnyk payroll.
On a separate article about this (written by the same person), there was a comment which could be viewed as sarcastic to the effect that council and the mayor all have other things to do at 7:15AM that day.
In other words, they’re not paying this guy any attention. The writer, (Maria Cook) constantly gives this guy attention on her design blog. I suspect they know one another because I don’t see anyone else giving this the time of day.
I wish someone did show up to grill him completely on his plan and show the holes in it.
The sad fact is that Ottawa doesn't deserve a pro sports team. It's the only Canadian city in the NHL which doesn't sellout and the team recently went bankrupt. Their 3 previous CFL teams went insolvent and even their baseball team left town.
While Vancouver has a $365M stadium upgrade with retractable-dome under construction, Wpg is building a new state-of-the-art 35,000 stadium, and Regina is pumping a retractable-dome stadium, Ottawa continues to dither and navel gaze.
The Ottawa expansion has been bad news right from the start. Just another opportunity for some flatheads to dump on the CFL and Canadian football fans...which the vitriolic Ottawa media is so eager to expose.
Let's face facts, with the league averaging nearly 30,000 fans per game and making money, Ottawa will be a millstone around their neck.
The CFL should give Ottawa a drop-dead final date to begin construction on a new stadium, or their franchise bid will be revoked.
Can’t disagree, get it done now or forget about it for good.