Councillors struggle to focus on Lansdowne

Ottawa residents with strong opinions about Lansdowne Park's redevelopmentcrowded city hall for the second day in a row as councillors struggled to pay attention.

City council is expected to make a decision Monday on a plan to build shops, offices and condos at the 16-hectare property in the Glebe, renovate the stadiumto make way for a Canadian Football League team, and add more green space as part of a public private partnership with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group.

On Friday,council was scheduled to hear from more than 50 people, after a full day of delegations the day before.

Coun. Glenn Brooks, who represents Rideau ward,said Thursday was a long day.

"I think once you listen to 30 or 40 presentations, not too many councillors are listening, including myself quite frankly," he added. "It's a lot to take in. You're hearing the same message over and over again."

'I think once you listen to 30 or 40 presentations, not too many councillors are listening.' Coun. Glenn Brooks

As presentations continued inside city hall Friday, more than 100 people outside waved placards that read "Say no to sole sourcing" and "Let's get it right" at a rally against the plan that was organized by the group Friends of Lansdowne Park.

Meanwhile, a number of people inside spoke in favour of the plan, including concert promoter Ken Craig. He emphasized the need for a variety of venues in Ottawa for different events, as would be available following the renovation of the civic centre and Frank Clair stadium.

Some bands, like the Rolling Stones, U2 and AC/DC, only play stadiums, he said in an interview afterward. And while Scotiabank Place is available in Kanata, "There's some acts that belong downtown," he said.

The civic centre is currently unsuitable for bands that need indoor spaces, he added.

"It leaks. It's very tough to bring a show in there. There's no dressing room."

Less retail

Denis Proulx, who coaches a football team in Orlans, said he wants the stadium renovated not just to provide a home for a proposed CFL franchise, but also for university football and international soccer tournaments. On Thursday, Roger Greenberg, one of the developers in the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, announced some last-minute changes to the plan.

He said the group would cut proposed:

• Retail space from 200,000 to 150,000 square feet (a 25 per cent reduction).
• Office space from 77,000 square feet to 71,000 square feet (an eight per cent reduction).