Lansdowne project manager also sole-sourced

The project management firm hired to handle the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park and work with city staff to negotiate with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group was awarded its contract without competitive bidding, according to documents obtained by CBC News.

Last summer the city voted to form a public-private partnership with OSEG, which will oversee renovations of Frank Clair Stadium and build a mix of condominium and retail space in the rest of the park.

That partnership is the subject of a legal challenge set to be heard in June over whether the city acted legally when it approved a sole-sourced contract worth $300 million with OSEG instead of opening it to competitive bidding.

But CBC News has learned the OSEG deal wasn't the only sole-sourced contract approved in the Lansdowne redevelopment project.

Graham Bird and Associates is set to receive up to $2.1 million to oversee the work on behalf of the city.

The firm, which had managed projects such as the refurbished Ottawa Convention Centre and the Royal Ottawa Hospital, was awarded an initial deal for the first phase of the project, and contracts for three subsequent phases, without competitive bidding.

The city said in a document obtained by CBC News the normal contracting procedures should be waived because of the complexities of the partnership and the short timelines needed to deliver results.

City manager Kent Kirkpatrick said Bird's experience with past projects has shown that he has what it takes to manage complex projects in Ottawa and said his rates were comparable to industry standards.

Kirkpatrick said if the last city council had an issue with the contract awarded to Bird, it had an opportunity to do so in June, when a councillor asked if he was sticking with the firm for the work.

"I said yes, and I described why," said Kirkpatrick. "And that would have been an opportunity, if council as a whole wasn't comfortable with that, to have given me different direction."

David Chernushenko, the new councillor for Capital Ward, which contains Lansdowne Park, said the revelation of the nature of the contract is more ammunition for critics of the Lansdowne partnership.

"A big public site should have been at the highest level of openness, and not at what might be the lowest," said Chernushenko.

Chernushenko said from now on he will be on the lookout for large sole-source deals.

The legal challenge of the Lansdowne deal is now scheduled for June 21-23.

The project itself must still go through approvals from both the Ontario Heritage Trust and the Ontario Municipal Board and the final plans approved before work on the project can begin.