Lebreton Flats: picking a winner out of our hands

There's been a lot of noise this week over who should or even could build an arena at LeBreton Flats, and what to make of the glossy pictures and grand pitches.

But what counts, and what comes next, has little to do with any of that.

What will matter is who gave the National Capital Commission what it asked for, and that's up to five unelected people tapped to assess the two competing proposals.

The NCC is veryclear that this whole thing is about enticing apublic anchor, or anchors, tothe Flats. The NCC wants something that can revive an area neglected for decades, an area that will soon form the hub of the city's light rail system.

Each bidwill bejudged on whether its anchoris "worthy of national significance" and "creates a newcapital landmark" that's "meaningful to, and a source ofpride generally forall Canadians."

NCC scorecard

The key attractions should keepLeBretonFlats lively year-round,indoors and out,and be backed by a solid business case, according to the extensive 140-point scorecard in the request for proposals.

Those who flocked to the Canadian War Museum this week, or studied photos online, witnessed the efforts of both groupsto tick off the boxes in the hopes ofcomingout thewinner.

llumination LeBreton, pitched by the Sens-backed RendezVous LeBreton Group, tells us their public anchors are, obviously, their main event centre and the adjacent public square.

The Abilities Centre, Sensplex and possible new city library on land nearbyare supporting characters in a re-development rooted in new neighbourhoods connected by an historic aqueduct.

The backers ofLeBreton Re-Imagined sawmany anchors abandshell, squares,a communications museum all strung along their "magic botanicalthread,"alinear parkof Canadian flora they likened to New York'sHigh Line or Chicago's Millenium Park.

A 'monumental task'

Notice there's noarena in that list from the Devcore, Canderel and DLS Group.

The NCC wants the public anchor delivered in Phase 1.The DCDLSbid delivered this week the document they'll be rated bydoesn't contemplate an arena untilPhase 3, although that groupsays the Senators should be downtown and is open to all talks with the team's ownerEugene Melnykto see that happen sooner.

The NCC'sscorecard also places a lot of emphasis on whether the bidders can prove their plans are viable, and whether they have the money and ability to follow through. This is a way for the NCC to shelter itselffrom risk.

The public wasn't allowed to seepricetags attached to these two dreams this week, but we know from sources the RendezVous Lebreton bid is worth $3.5 billion.

We can't judgehow they will stack up.

But the NCC demanded loads of paperwork, from studies on visitor traffic to detailed analyses of demand forhousing to a financial plan that sets out milestones for when and how the NCC receives fair market value for the land.

It was a "monumental task" to get together, saidCanderel'sDaniel Peritz.

No referendum

So who decides whetheran event centre that is hometo one of sevenCanadian NHL teams is a source of pride for all Canadians? Orwhether the automotive museum, themultimedia museum, theskydiving wind tunnel,theaquariumand "theworld's greatest skate park" will ever come to be?

There will be no referendum by the people of Ottawa.

There will beno prolonged debates around the city council table, among24 locally-elected representatives.

What happens atLeBretonFlats is largely up to five individuals you've probably never heard of:three un-named NCC executives, Toronto planner and land economist MarkConroy, andarchitect Jack Diamond, whose recent projects includes the newMariinskyTheatre in St. Petersburg, Russia,and whose firm is working on the major facelift at the National Arts Centre.

Diamond isn't allowed to speak about the bids, but he saidhe has lots of meetings between now and March, when the panelis expected to tell theNCC'sboard of directors which bidif eitherit prefers.

In other words, the evaluation committee's work is just beginning.

"I think the fairest thingis that there be open minds," said Diamond.

One of the documents the panel will take into consideration is areport summing up all thepublic feedback pouring in, andDiamond said he thinks public input isimportant.

That said, this is no popularity contest. The scorecardawardszero points for being most appealing to the thousands of people who will fill out anonline survey.

Fairness monitor

Teams of technical expertsfrom the NCC, the city of Ottawa, academia and the private sector will also distill each bid's promises about transportation, sustainabilityandfinancinginto reports for Diamond, Conway and the three NCC execs.

Even then,a fairness monitorhas been assigned to shadow them all the way, making sure the committee membersfollowthe RFP's criteria as they evaluate the bids.

If and when the evaluation teamsingles out a winner, the ultimate decision will beupto theNCC's board, with its cross-Canada membership, likely in April.

Once that preferred bidder is chosen, then the negotiations can start.

"I think there'ssome room for some horse-trading about what they want, what we want, what the public wants,"NCC CEO MarkKristmansontold CBC. So, what we see now could change before thefederal government eventually givesits finalsign-off.

LeBreton Flats has been waiting 50 years to be re-imagined orilluminated. But which set ofglossy pictures is best, and whether the parks, buildings and actionthey promisematerializeas advertised,is out of our hands.