Lansdowne Live proposal approved 15-9

By Mark Brownlee

After hours of debate that lasted late into Monday evening, Ottawa City Council voted 15-9 to move forward with the Lansdowne Partnership Plan, first proposed by the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group this summer.

The City approved the proposal to renovate Lansdowne Park with a few conditions added at the last minute. The project will add condos, retail and green spaces, and renovate Frank Clair Stadium.

Council will hold a final vote on whether to sign the agreement in June 2010 after staff reports back on the remaining contentious issues. These include a number of studies on challenges such as transportation and the effect on local businesses.

The first phase of the plan—which includes shops, green space and an underground parkade—will cost about $250 million. The condos and townhouses will be added during the second phase.

The last-minute changes include the appointment of an urban designer to give the city more say in the project’s new design. George Dark, of Urban Strategies, the design firm working on the project, will spend the winter hammering out a finalized plan with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group.