The Senators have come to an agreement with the National Capital Commission to construct a downtown arena and surrounding entertainment district in Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats neighborhood, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reports. The team is expected to hold a press conference Friday afternoon to confirm the agreement.
The news comes hours before a memorandum of understanding between the two parties governing a potential arena deal was set to expire. It’s a major step toward moving the Senators out of the Canadian Tire Centre in the inconveniently located suburb of Kanata, which has been their home since 1996.
But it’s not the final step in the process, Garrioch cautions. There’s still much to be decided about how the project will be funded, a source close to the development told him.
Still, it’s a major sigh of relief for new majority owner Michael Andlauer. The Senators have been working to acquire land in LeBreton Flats since submitting an initial proposal to the NCC. It’s been a long and winding road since then, with negotiations on their current MOU, signed in 2022, heating up in particular over the past few months.
“League sources say the NCC and the Senators made progress on the size of the parcel of land, which would allow for more on-site parking,” Garrioch wrote. “The Senators know they can’t rely solely on the troubled [light rail] system for people to get in or out of the arena.”
Earlier this week, Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet put together an expansive FAQ about the remaining roadblocks ahead for the Sens to actually put shovels in the ground. There’s no timeline yet for a prospective groundbreaking or opening date.
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