Developers get historic pavilion for free

Developers won't be charged a cent for the privilege of putting restaurants in a city-ownedVictorian heritage building as part of the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park.

The revelation about the 1898 Aberdeen Pavilion by Ottawa manager Kent Kirkpatrick came out Tuesday as he went through the Lansdowne Partnership Plan at a meeting of the city's corporate services committee.

It was prompted by a question from Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans.

"What about the value of the Lady Aberdeen Pavilion used for commercial spaces?" she asked. "How's that been valued?"

"It hasn't," Kirkpatrick responded.

"So that's just free to them?" Deans asked.

"That's correct," Kirkpatrick answered.

"Forever for 30 years?"

"Yes, 30 years."

Deans then asked Kirkpatrick why the value ofleasing thepavilion wasn't on the table as part of negotiations with developers on the future of the central Ottawa park.

Kirkpatrick responded, "What I was able to negotiate was the land for the retail component and the land for office and hotel. The city is also contributing the use of the Aberdeen pavilion. That was I didn't negotiate that into the calculation of the city's deemed equity."

The Lansdowne Partnership Plan is a proposed partnership between the city and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group that calls for renovation of Frank Clair Stadium, an expansion of green space and the construction of housing and retail developments. Developers would get a 30-year lease on city land.

The Aberdeen Pavilion was built in 1898 with what was leading-edge technology at the time. Its frame was built of steel so there was no need for columns on the inside.

It wasn't just the free rent that developers will get on the pavilion that upset some councillors Tuesday. Coun. Marianne Wilkinson said she doesn't like the idea of putting restaurants in the building.

"I don't think it's the right thing for a heritage building," she said.

She added that she wants to take more time and hold public consultations to decides what should go inside the pavilion.

More discussion about the Lansdowne Park proposal were scheduled to take place Tuesday night at the last in a series of public forums on the plan.