Ottawa CFL Group Bids To Remake Lansdowne
19/10/2008 02:00
A group hoping to bring the CFL back to Ottawa has announced ambitious plans to revitalize Lansdowne Park with an updated football and soccer stadium, a refurbished arena and exhibition hall, an aquarium, a retail and restaurant complex, and more.
The group includes the owner of the Ottawa 67's, Jeff Hunt, and Minto property developer Roger Greenberg.
Greenberg said the plans were just "step 2 of 122" in the process. The group was hoping to be in play for 2010, but meeting that date might prove too ambitious.
"We haven't formally ruled out the 2010 season," Hunt said, "but as this goes on, it may not be reasonable to hit that date."
There are many other potential stumbling blocks in the group's way.
Hunt's group is proposing a 30-year lease of the land and has to convince the city to agree to pay the cost of the facelift and maintain its current operating and repair costs, while it will put up the money for the rest.
The consortium has already been granted a franchise for a team by the Canadian Football League, conditional on getting approval for its Lansdowne Park plan, and said Friday it will raise $120 million just to get the project started.
The plan, called Lansdowne Live, will be formally presented to the city on Monday, but was unveiled at Lansdowne Park on Friday.
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SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
If I can give a bit of advice to this group – just keep Loonie, er, I mean, Lonnie Glieberman as far away from you as possible!