Residents question extra 10 years for OSEG at Lansdowne

The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group's (OSEG) requests for help at Lansdowne Park go to a city committee Thursday for endorsement, but many residents worry more financial problems lie ahead for the partnership.

OSEG which runs the arena and stadium at TD Place and Lansdowne's commercial areasas part of a private-public partnership with the city expects to inject an extra $40 million to coverlosses while the pandemic benches the Ottawa 67s and Redblacks sports teams,and Lansdowne shops and restaurantsstruggle.

OSEG's ownershaveasked to tap into$4.7 million theyput in a reserve fund for maintainingthe parking garage and aging stadium.

The Glebe Community Association wants the seven-year-old redevelopment at Lansdowne to succeed, and its representatives will be among dozens signed up to have their virtual sayat the finance and economic development committee meeting.

We'd like to see the city hold some cards in its pocket in case the situation deteriorates further.- Anthony Carricato, Glebe Community Association

"We absolutely support the need for emergency short-term financial assistance for OSEG," said Anthony Carricato, who chairs the association's Lansdowne committee and is also a citizen transit commissioner.

The association ismuch more concerned, however,by OSEG's other requests:extendingtheir dealwith the City of Ottawa by a decade, to 2054, and pushing off the date when the city would share in retail rents.

"We'd like to see the city hold some cards in its pocket in case the situation deteriorates further over the year ahead," said Carricato.

'Skin in the game'

Othersquestion why the city is rushing to give OSEG what it asks, instead of taking time to do due diligence on whetherthe complicated public-privatedeal is sustainable for decades to come.

They doubt OSEG's latesttroubles are only pandemic-related, because the partnership has yet to finish a year without a deficit.

"It's an insult to the citizens of Ottawa to use COVID[-19] relief as a cover ... to turna sow's ear into a silk purse," saidNancy Lawand, a former public service executivewholived in the Glebe for more than 30 years.

She feels the Lansdowne agreement has lacked transparency and accountability all along.

"The last council that approved the whole thing never got an option it was OSEG or nothing. I think it's time for some options," said Lawand.

Despite unanswered questions, Glebe resident Chris Stoneyexpectsthe finance committee will"cut a deal" with the sports team owners.

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"Certainly the mayor and many of the councillors who voted for this deal in the first place do have skin in the game," said Stoney, aprofessor of urban policy at Carleton University."There is a political cost if Lansdowne is to fail."

Stoney wantscouncil members to keep open minds as theylisten to dozens of public delegations, and extendthe Lansdowneagreement only if it is best for the city.