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A first glimpse at the new Lansdowne Park stands and events centre

Consultations begin on Jan. 15.

A first glimpse: Despite much public backlash, the city is still adamant that Lansdowne 2.0 plans must proceed. A set of proposed designs has been released ahead of a public consultation on Jan. 15. 

The drawings include a look at the north side stands, which notably won’t have a roof covering them from Ottawa’s harsh weather conditions. 

  • “The proposed designs…showcase exciting upgrades, including innovative architecture, improved energy efficiency with LEED certification, and enhanced accessible seating,” the city wrote in a memo, according to CTV. 

A smaller events space: Perhaps one of the pieces of the plan that has received the most pushback is that the arena and events space will have fewer seats than the current capacity. The current space has 9,862 seats, but the new space would only have room for 5,500 seats. It would also be relocated to the eastern edge of the stadium to make way for a new highrise development. 

That will reduce greenspace on the great lawn, something the Glebe Community Association expressed concern about in a previous interview with the Lookout. 

  • “We are removing green space and moving in the opposite direction than what we said originally. What makes a community liveable is amenities, park space, transit, and housing. While this sort of housing adds to the supply, it is not the most important. And it’s not the type of housing we need,” said Glebe Community Association planning chair Carolyn Mackenzie. 

The proposed drawings show wooden sides to the stadium outside with balconies overlooking the field. It would be located approximately where the toboggan hill is now. Renderings from inside the arena space show the seats with large windows looking out onto the football stadium. 

You can learn more: An in-person meeting will be held inside Gate 2 at the TD Place Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 6:30 pm to 8 pm The following day, a virtual meeting will be held on Jan. 16 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm You can register here.