LeBreton runner-up says it's still ready to roll

The group that finished second to the disentegrating RendezVous LeBreton bidto bring an NHLarena to downtown Ottawa says it's still ready and willing to take over the project.

In early 2016, The DevcoreCanderelDLS(DCDLS)Group made it throughto the final stages of the bidding processwith its planfor a linear park, skateboarding pavilion, aquarium, outdoor event space and 18,500-seat arena.

DCDLS lost the bid in April 2016,and in January the National Capital Commission signedanagreement in principlewith RendezVous,a partnership between the Ottawa Senators and Trinity Development Group.

Now, with the spectacular collapse of that bid,including Melnyk's$700-million lawsuit against partner John Ruddy and others,DCDLS has announced it wants back in.

The Quebec-based consortium has requested a meeting with the NCC, but has yet to hear back. The NCCisnot commenting on the request.

DCDLSpartners still 'united'

In a news release issuedlate Sunday night, the president of developer DevcoreGroup, Jean-PierrePoulin,said theteam is still ready to step back in and build if the NCC so chooses atits January meeting.

"We do not believe Ottawa or Canada should be held hostage one day longer,"Poulinstated.

We believe our duty would be to make this projectNHL-ready.- Jean-Pierre Poulin, president of DevcoreGroup

"We have a very solid team and [are] all unified. We have shovel in hand and [are] ready to roll," Poulintold CBC News.

But, the DCDLS bid wouldn't be the same one the consortium presentedin 2016.

DCDLSwould first want to see what infrastructure and engineering work hasbeen done for Rendezvous LeBretonGroup since 2016, and would see how it might build on that.

"It's not our intention to start from scratch," Poulin said.

Poulinalso said the 4,000 condo or apartment units proposed by Rendezvous LeBretonseemed too dense; DCDLSwould be more interested in building the 2,000 units it proposed in 2016 because that's what the market can absord, he said.

Arena still a go

DCDLSwould also set aside landfor an arena, much like it proposed in 2016.Back then, Ottawa Senatorsowner EugeneMelnyksaid his team would not play at LeBreton Flats if DCDLSwon the bid.

"The place holder is there, so it's open. We believe our duty would be to make this project NHL-ready," Poulin said.

Poulin said DCDLS has not spoken with eitherMelnyk or the National Hockey League.

Devcore,a Gatineau-basedbuilder, could not afford toownanNHLteam, said Poulin, who called NHLownership a "billionaires' game."

While his partners might have those billions, Poulin said DCDLS respects that the Sens are not for sale.

"Mr. Melnykwas clear on the fact that he does not want to sell the team, and we respect that."

NCCnot commenting

DCDLSsaid it reached out to theNCClast week to let it know it's still willing and able to resurrect its plans, and has not heard back.

TheNCChas not issued a public response and declined comment on Monday.

Both during and after its meeting last month, whenthe RendezVousLeBretonissues came to light, NCCleadership has mused it may need to do some sort of restart of the process.

NCC CEO Mark Kristmansonhas said that within the current procurement process, Melnyk'sCapital Sports Management Inc. or Trinity Development Group could regroup, reform or bring in new partners, but had to mutually agree to any new arrangement.

Kristmanson has also said the board could move on to "a new solution and new ideas" if the Rendezvous LeBretonGroup partnership can't resolve its differences.

But the NCC has said the current process doesn't allow it to go back to DCDLS's bid.