Lansdowne designs true to 150-year history

The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) today made the design public for the proposed redevelopment of Lansdowne Park. At an unveiling of the design at Carleton University, architects Ritchard Brisbin, Barry Hobin, and Robert Claiborne of Cannon Design in Toronto, said their goal was to create an urban space that reflects Lansdowne’s long history as a city, regional and national meeting place. “The new Lansdowne Park will respect the 150-year history of the site, create a lively urban space and fit into its Glebe neighbourhood,” said Barry Hobin. The design revealed today includes: A refurbished Frank Clair Stadium for CFL football, professional soccer and concerts, featuring a wooden veil that would reflect Ottawa’s history as a lumber town. An expansion of the Glebe’s grid street system into Lansdowne to accommodate a mix of commercial space, residential development and public squares. The Horticulture Building is given a prominent and historically significant location on the east side of the Aberdeen Pavilion, within Lansdowne’s new urban park, where it could become the site of the Ottawa Farmers’ Market and the location of a Parks Canada Agency interpretation centre for the Rideau Canal. “I am delighted that we have reached this milestone in the Lansdowne project, a design plan that can be examined by our citizens and brought to City Council in June,” said Mayor Larry O’Brien. “It’s exciting that we are on the threshold of finally moving forward with a plan to bring Lansdowne back to its former glory.” “I congratulate our team of architects on their superb work,” said Roger Greenberg, Chief Executive Officer of the Minto Group and an OSEG partner. “They have laboured around the clock for months to deliver a design that is worthy of this important site.” “Lansdowne Park began as a fairground in the 19th century and evolved into a commercial exposition site, sports venue and scene of national political conventions,” said Councillor Peter Hume, Chair of the Planning and Environment Committee. “In recent years the buildings at Lansdowne have deteriorated. Half of the south-side stands in Frank Clair Stadium were demolished due to concerns about safety. The potential and creativity demonstrated by this proposal is exciting.” Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, comprised of Mr. Greenberg, William Shenkman, Jeff Hunt and John Ruddy, proposed to the City that Lansdowne be redeveloped. The City and OSEG formed a partnership to transform Lansdowne Park, and that project was approved in principle last November. The project is subject to a number of conditions, including a requirement that a panel of top Canadian urban designers review work. The Lansdowne Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel, comprised of urban designer George Dark, and architects Marianne McKenna and Rick Haldenby, wrote design guidelines for the project. They include development that reflects the site’s history and is environmentally sustainable. One of City Council’s conditions for the project was that an international design competition be held to create a new urban park on the east side of Lansdowne. That competition is underway, with five park designs released to the public on May 20 and a jury scheduled to select a winner on June 4. The team designing the urban park will join the OSEG design team of Brisbin, Hobin and Claiborne to integrate the components, with oversight provided by the Strategic Design and Review Panel. A public comment period on the urban-park designs runs until May 31. A public comment period on the OSEG designs for the refurbished stadium and Civic Centre, and mixed-use area near Bank Street, runs from June 1 to June 13 on ottawa.ca. The proposal goes to City Council in June, with reports tabled on June 9, public delegations heard on June 24 and 25 and Council debate on the project for approval June 28. For more information on the Lansdowne Partnership Plan visit ottawa.ca/lansdownepartnership or contact the City at 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401)

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