Ottawa Senators chosen as preferred bidders for parcel at LeBreton Flats for New Arena

[Mightygoose]

Take 2 starts today











OSEG not partners as speculated. No surprise with litigation ongoing from collapse of LeBreton 1.0

Plan is to have a lease finalized by the end of the year or January.

Click to read more...

 

[aqib]

I hope LeBlanc doesn't promise a deal in 2 weeks...

 

[Mike Jones]

So the Sens really are relocating.

 

[Yukon Joe]

How the hell does Anthony Leblanc keep showing up in sports?

I mean his efforts in "owning" the Coyotes, and in trying to bring the CFL to the Atlantic region, have hardly covered him in glory...

 

[Masked]

So the Sens really are relocating.

You don't consider a team moving within the same city to be relocating.

Assen na yo!

 

[LadyStanley]

Ottawa Senators awarded land for new arena

The Senators have reached a memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission.

theathletic.com

Paywall. Athletic story.



Proposed arena art and more

 

[Mike Jones]

You don't consider a team moving within the same city to be relocating.

Assen na yo!

Are they not moving from one place to another? That's relocating.

 

[Mightygoose]

I hope LeBlanc doesn't promise a deal in 2 weeks...

Maybe he's finally learned his lesson after all

 

[Stumbledore]

I can't believe this.

Why would anybody, attempting to accomplish anything, involve themselves with LeBlanc?

 

[AZDesertKnight]

Anthony LeBlanc and arena plans.. sounds like it's doomed to fail. lol

 

[Yukon Joe]

Anthony LeBlanc and arena plans.. sounds like it's doomed to fail. lol

Maybe it's third time is the charm? Is that what the Sens are going for with Leblanc?

 

[OG6ix]

Maybe it's third time is the charm? Is that what the Sens are going for with Leblanc?

maybe the 5th time?

 

[NorthStar]

I do hope the Senators will get the new arena in downtown Ottawa.. just hope the team will be around a long time.. let's see what will happen over the summer?

 

[TheLegend]

I can't believe this.

Why would anybody, attempting to accomplish anything, involve themselves with LeBlanc?

Ever noticed my scrolling signature line??

All kidding aside.... hope they get this done.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

If the Melnyk sisters sell, the best time on the medium term would be once the agreements are all signed and the project is commissioned. Then the financial models can include the free cash flow from the new downtown location, with all the assumptions that entails on higher ticket prices, higher attendance, complementary revenue sources Etc.

My dream scenario is the project gets commissioned and the Shopify guys (Tobi etc) buy the team

 

[aqib]

How the hell does Anthony Leblanc keep showing up in sports?

I mean his efforts in "owning" the Coyotes, and in trying to bring the CFL to the Atlantic region, have hardly covered him in glory...

He's a natural salesman and very charismatic. The guy put together a group to buy the Coyotes with little of his own money and managed to get himself the job of team President. The purchase price was $170 million, a year and half later he got Andrew Barroway to buy them for $305 million.

Quite frankly I am impressed with the guy. He had a run as owner of a major league sports team and now he gets to be President of his boyhood team. He's basically living every guys dream.

 

[TheLegend]

He's a natural salesman and very charismatic. The guy put together a group to buy the Coyotes with little of his own money and managed to get himself the job of team President. The purchase price was $170 million, a year and half later he got Andrew Barroway to buy them for $305 million.

Quite frankly I am impressed with the guy. He had a run as owner of a major league sports team and now he gets to be President of his boyhood team. He's basically living every guys dream.

He was a VP of Marketing for RIM (BlackBerry) before his IceEdge/Coyotes days.

 

[aqib]

He was a VP of Marketing for RIM (BlackBerry) before his IceEdge/Coyotes days.

Yep. So tell me you wouldn't trade a corporate desk job to have a few years as part owner of a sports team in a Big-4 League and then wind up as a President of your favorite team.

 

[TheLegend]

Yep. So tell me you wouldn't trade a corporate desk job to have a few years as part owner of a sports team in a Big-4 League and then wind up as a President of your favorite team.

He left RIM as their decline to Apple and Android phones began to dominate the cell market.

Remember IceEdge originally wanted to own an ECHL franchise but got to looking at the Coyotes and decided to make a run at them. Then they piggybacked onto Greg Jamison’s group for his until that fell apart before finding George Gosbee as their money guy.

I would imagine being CEO of your howntown team has to be the pinnacle after all that.

 

[aqib]

He left RIM as their decline to Apple and Android phones began to dominate the cell market.

Remember IceEdge originally wanted to own an ECHL franchise but got to looking at the Coyotes and decided to make a run at them. Then they piggybacked onto Greg Jamison’s group for his until that fell apart before finding George Gosbee as their money guy.

I would imagine being CEO of your howntown team has to be the pinnacle after all that.

Yep. For all the mockery he has received the dude is living the dream.

 

[hockeyguy0022]

He was a VP of Marketing for RIM (BlackBerry) before his IceEdge/Coyotes days.

He was also in the group with John Graham trying to purchase the coyotes and move them to Saskatoon in 2009-2012.

He was also part of the still on the table, Atlantic Schooners 10th CFL team. (before the sens)

 

[aqib]

He was also in the group with John Graham trying to purchase the coyotes and move them to Saskatoon in 2009-2012.

He was also part of the still on the table, Atlantic Schooners 10th CFL team. (before the sens)

They weren't going to move there, just play I think it was 5 games a year.

How alive is the Schooners thing. Last I read the stadium deal was dead a long time ago

 

[AZDesertKnight]

He was also in the group with John Graham trying to purchase the coyotes and move them to Saskatoon in 2009-2012.

He was also part of the still on the table, Atlantic Schooners 10th CFL team. (before the sens)

Wrong, that was an idea to increase revenue that the league didn't want to have happen and boom! it didn't happen. It was only for a handful of games if it would've gone down.

The NHL fuil time in Saskatoon? lol

 

[sawchuk1971]

martin leclerc with an article that states the sens don't have the cash to pay for the new arena and can't depend on public funds (taxpayer) to fund it..

Chronique | Nouvel aréna des Sénateurs : n’achetez pas vos billets tout de suite

Plusieurs embûches sont susceptibles de ralentir le projet, écrit Martin Leclerc.

ici.radio-canada.ca

Fellow Ian Mendes of the Athletic site interviewed an expert who argued the Senators amphitheater would have cost between $600 million and $700 million if the 2016 project had run its course normally. However, due to the explosion in the cost of materials, he estimated the bill at more than 1 billion.

If Melnyk didn't have the means to finance the operation in 2016, it's a safe bet that his heiresses will find themselves in a similar position.

Moreover, given the poor relationship that Melnyk had with the Ottawa business community, it was not surprising to learn that the new version of the Senators project is based on four American partners:

• New York-based real estate development firm Sterling Project Development, which recently completed construction of the New York Islanders' new amphitheater.
• The architectural firm Populous, which participated in the design of the Videotron Center in Quebec City, and which recently drew up the plans for the new amphitheaters for the Islanders (the UBS arena), the Vegas Golden Knights (the T-Mobile Arena) and the Seattle Kraken (the Climate Pledge Arena).
• Tipping Point Sports, which specializes in financing sports projects, including the construction of new amphitheaters.
• The Live Nation company, which is recognized in the music and entertainment production sector. The presence of Live Nation aims to maximize attendance in the future amphitheater on evenings when the hockey team will be inactive.

The presence of these partners with the Senators proved to be very comforting for the leaders of the National Capital Commission. That said, before a first shovelful of earth takes place, someone will have to be found to pay for the construction of this famous new amphitheater.

So it will be very interesting to see who raises their hand to pick up the slack.

Senators president Anthony LeBlanc has hinted that it's not impossible that the organization will seek public funds to carry out its project. He has already begun to articulate the classic discourse that his professional team creates economic activity and wealth. This theory, however, has been demolished a thousand times by many renowned economists.

We wish the Senators good luck if they ever choose to go this route. In Canada, only one NHL team, the Edmonton Oilers, has managed to obtain public funding for its amphitheater. It took two years for the city administration and the Oilers to find common ground. In Calgary, the discussions that had been going on since 2015 broke down several months ago.

In its latest financial assessment of NHL teams, Forbes magazine estimated the value of the Senators at some $525 million. A firm agreement with the NCC securing the construction of a new amphitheater alone would likely boost the value by a few hundred million.

For the Melnyk heiresses, this could be the perfect window to sell the club. They could thus maximize their profit without having to incur huge expenses to build the amphitheater. Or without having to engage in lengthy negotiations with the City and/or the province.

 

[hockeyguy0022]

They weren't going to move there, just play I think it was 5 games a year.

How alive is the Schooners thing. Last I read the stadium deal was dead a long time ago

Actually I believe there's a good chance now that covid is past, the ownership and league will is there, just need the $$ for a stadium, probably similar to ottawa/hamilton size. 25-27K.

Wrong, that was an idea to increase revenue that the league didn't want to have happen and boom! it didn't happen. It was only for a handful of games if it would've gone down.

The NHL fuil time in Saskatoon? lol

NLL (Rush) Draws on par with Colorado, Buffalo, Calgary before covid. Basically sellouts. No difference, and more large corporate support then winnipeg to be honest. Just no extra TV money in the NHL's eyes. Not a $ problem on the ground. New arena in the works already, always an ownership group ready. (as we've seen sniffing around the coyotes every time they get in trouble)

So everyone cries about arena and ownership, but it's there if the league wants it.