The Next Obstacles

It seems that with every passing month there is another obstacle added to the list of things Jeff Hunt and Co. need to tackle in order to get football back in the nation's capital. Frustration in the front office must be at an all time high, as this week it was announced that the soil within the Lansdowne Park was contaminated (Soil contamination article). This now has to be all removed before they even start to think of replacing the field. Though the 2014 schedule is still on track, you have to think with developments like this what else is there (though I remain fully optimistic that the project will get done on time)!

The other hurdle that Hunt still needs to get through is the nagging case with the "Friends of Lansdowne" (FOL). This organization came into the Ottawa football scene months ago, as they see the contract Hunt was awarded by Ottawa city council as illegitimate due to improper procurement procedures. Months ago they lost their case against city council. However, they've decided they don't think this issue is dead yet. The FOL now have an appeal hearing on November 28th, where they will state their case... again... on why the Jeff Hunt's team should not have won the redevelopment of Lansdowne contract (Ottawa Citizen article). This to me feels like they are beating around a dead horse.

Unfortunately, this organization seems to be garnering a lot more public interest these days as recent FOL meetings have brought in hundreds of Ottawa citizens to hear out their case. Though getting lots of people doesn't necessarily equal public support, it at least is getting their name out there. As the old adage goes, there is no such thing as "bad" publicity, and I'm sure the FOL will take anything they can get. The FOL from their meetings have listed how much in terms of donations they have been receiving. Their last meeting they managed to raise $5000... though that seems like a lot of dough, in the legal lawyer world, that sum would be swallowed up within a couple days work. Which begs the true question, where are the FOL getting most of their cash support? Are the chair people funding most of their aims through their own pockets? What’s in it for them? Questions to think about.

On a positive note the renewing of Lansdowne field will truly start to commence on November 7th! The department of Public Affairs for the City of Ottawa most recently announced they had selected a company to complete the demolishment of the South Side stands of Frank Clair Stadium (They were half removed in 2008). This is at least one less obstacle Hunt needs to worry about. What's more is that the contract awarded was won on a budget of close to $1 million less than expected (City of Ottawa Presser). For people who know government... this is almost unheard of, hopefully this bid stays true to its original pricing scope!

There still seems like there is a rocky road ahead on seeing football in Ottawa again. However, there is still buzz on the project. People and fans are still interested and excited to see what's going to come in the short months ahead. Will the soil contamination be a bigger deal? Will FOL win their appeal and cause more havoc? To me, if I were running the upcoming franchise, I would try to install confidence. Give the fans a tidbit for things to come. Why not have a name/logo contest? Or a Rough Riders/ Renegades alumni party? Just something to give back to the fans to let them know that things are being taken care of and not to worry!

CFL in Ottawa for 2014! I still believe... let's get it "done" (right)!

The Lansdowne Development Saga

(Proposed game rendition of Frank Clair)

On Tuesday June 29th Ottawa city council voted 15-9 in favour of redeveloping Lansdowne Park with the bid proposed by the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG). The OSEG is the consortium business group that has the CFL rights to Ottawa's next team. The new Lansdowne Park plan includes renovations to Frank Clair Stadium (where the new CFL Ottawa team will play), the building of 350,000 square feet of commercial retail space at the site (i.e. a new mall), 250 housing units, and the development of an urban park on Lansdowne's front lawn.

Many Ottawa citizens are upset with the outcome of city council. In particular, a protest group self proclaimed as "Friends of Lansdowne Park" (FLP) are the primary instigators in the fight against Lansdowne re-development. In the council decision it is outlined that the city of Ottawa (aka Ottawa taxpayers) will be paying $173 million towards the LP redevelopment, with OSEG forking out $117 million for their bit. The protesters have fought hard, even launching an application for appeal to Ontario's supreme court this past November to get the bid overturned. In February  FLP got a small victory, in that the Ontario courts ruled the city and OSEG had to open up their financial books to FLP so they could see where money was being allocated. Project redevelopment is still slated to occur soon barring more legal set backs.

The $173 taxpayer allocation breakdown looks like this:

• $124 million for the stadium renovation and parking
• $35 million for the urban park (including $5 million for moving the Horticulture building)
• $8.5 million for the new trade show and exhibition hall at Albion Road
• $3.8 million to relocate the sports Dome
• $1.2 million for life cycle renewal. 

The main thing the breakdown doesn't include is interest on the $173 million! That interest could be HUGE considering City council expects to be paying this over the course of 30 years. 

(Proposed inside of Frank Clair)

Another reason of FLP's fight comes down to business ethics. OSEG was the only bid that the city council of Ottawa had to choose from. Some see this as unfair, as you would like to see more bids and more competition to get the financial costs down and quality of bids improve. I feel this is completely fair as other companies were given ample notice to bid on the LP redevelopment, they just chose not to.

Many Ottawa residents feel the new redevelopments will cause an eye sore right along the Rideau canal. The proposed architect renditions say otherwise however. The new Frank Clair Stadium will be designed with a wood focus. All the exterior designs show elegant wood styles covering the stadium, creating a nice picture for any person strolling along the Rideau canal trails.

 

 

(Proposed Frank Clair renos at night by the Rideau Canal)

 

 

I feel the city of Ottawa and OSEG are heading in the right direction. They know what the public wants and are willing to give it to them! I truly hope they start the renovations soon however, as if the aim is to get the CFL franchise in Ottawa back up and running by 2013 they need to start NOW!

Next Sunday I will be posting an article on potential coaching staff for the new Ottawa team, stay tuned!

3rd Time's a Charm

Jeff Hunt (Head of the development group for the new Ottawa franchise- 2nd left) with Mark Cohon (CFL Commissioner- middle) and the rest of the development group.

On March 28, 2008 Ottawa was given the go ahead for their third professional CFL franchise. The move was greeted with high phrase but cautious optimism. On one hand, the rambunctious fans of Ottawa were getting a new CFL team! However, on the other hand hesitation was apparent as CFL had lived and died twice already in the nation's capital! What would make this third time any different?! Well there are many things that make this third attempt stand out in my mind: 1) The new owners led by Jeff Hunt, 2) The renovations of Lansdowne Park, and 3) The newly structure expansion draft.

Jeff Hunt is a self made millionaire and huge CFL fan. This bodes well from an ownership perspective, as to be truly successful in any sports league you need a passionate owner that is willing to open his pocketbook (or business "knowledge-book") and help the team in any way shape or form. Hunt has already proven to be highly successful in the sports leagues. In 1998 he bought the Ottawa 67s (an Ontario Hockey League team), the impact was felt instantly. Seemingly over night the attendance to the 67s near quadruple, and Hunt spent an average $25,000 on marketing for the first couple of weeks to promote the team (a significant number considering the 67s budget for promotion marketing was $25000/year in 1997). This shows that Hunt knows how to run a successful sports franchise and is willing to do what it takes for it be a winner!

There is much debate in the social media world on whether or not Frank Clair stadium should be renovated. Some feel a complete change of scenery could go along way in getting this franchise off the ground. Call me old fashion but I'd rather see Frank Clair and Lansdowne Park be adjusted to fit the needs of the fans. I remember being at a game at Frank Clair in 2004, Montreal Alouettes vs the Ottawa Renegades. The atmosphere for that game was phenomenal, and the crowd I felt truly energized the Renegades to a massive upset 43-38! When building a new stadium it's sometimes hard to capture the old building's atmosphere again. Fans may have been loyal specifically to the old stadium itself!

Finally, the expansion draft plans for the new Ottawa team are much better than the 2002. The expansion draft is set for sometime in December of 2012, rules and regulations can be read here Ottawa CFL Expansion Draft- Rules and regulations. In addition to the expansion draft the new Ottawa franchise will get the top pick of the 2013 CFL draft! This will allow the 3rd Ottawa to hit the ground running with a truly competitive team!


Though the team is 2 years away from "being", I'm really excited for the CFL! More details will come in coming blog posts on Lansdowne Park development issues (as there are still many kinks becoming worked out with the city and development group), potential draft prospects, branding, and more!