Is this game over for Ottawa's baseball stadium?

An Ottawa city councillor is asking whether it might be time to call the gamefor Ottawa's baseball stadium.

"At what point do we say to the community, 'Do you want to keep funding this use here,even though very few people are attending that stadium, attending baseball games?'" Coun. Diane Deans asked.

"Or, is it time that we considered perhaps other uses for that property?"

Councillors on the finance and economic development committee will hear an update on the city-owned stadium on Coventry Road on Tuesday.

They'll also learn the latest on the agreement with the Ottawa Champions, the Can-Am League baseball team owned by Independent Baseball of Ottawa Inc.

Is it time that we considered perhaps other uses for that property?- Coun. Diane Deans

City staff terminated the 10-yearlease council had approved in 2014after the Championsfell $418,942 behind on rent.

The Champions were put on a repayment planand entered into an arrangement to rent the stadium by the hour for the duration of the 2019 season, whichended last week.

Average attendance at home games was 1,800 this season, according to the Can-Am League's website. The stadium has capacity for more than 10,000 fans.

Renting by the hour

The newarrangement meant $162,844 in revenue for the City of Ottawa, less than half of what it earned with thelease in place, but at least the clubcould keep operating and pay back the overdue rent, staff reasoned.

The Champions paid hourly commercial rental rates, but also received special permission to keep using office space, operatingconcessions and parking on game days, and retained naming rights on the stadium, currently named for accountingfirm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton.

• Champions, city strike new deal as ball club struggles to pay rent
• Why are the Ottawa Champions striking out with baseball fans in the city?

"What we have is a seasonal permit, and we've given them all the benefits of a long-term lease. It's not in the financial interests of the city," Deans said.

Deans takes issue withstaff changing the terms without askingfor council's approval, but was prevented fromasking any questions at a July meeting.

Memo missed the mark:Deans

Councillorsreceived a memo from city staff responding to her concerns last week, but Deans said she still doesn't havethe answers she was looking for.

The memo did underlinethat the Champions' seasonal permit was only to help themthroughtheir 2019 season, and can be reassessed each year.

The City of Ottawa has considered the stadium site on Coventry Roadfor a future affordable housing development, and a few councillors have wondered if it would be better to develop the land.

Ottawa Champions owner Miles Wolff was unavailable Monday to comment on therental arrangementwith the city, or the future of his team.

In July, a spokespersontold CBC News the team plans to remain in Ottawa until at least 2023.