GCA looks for accountability

Lansdowne 2.0

The City of Ottawa continues to push ahead with OSEG’s proposal for Lansdowne 2.0 despite significant public concerns about the redevelopment. The city claims the project will be “revenue neutral” – a misleading term that implies no cost to taxpayers. In fact, the city will spend $400 million of taxpayer money on the project, taking on hundreds of millions in unsustainable new debt at a time when many other vital priorities are not being funded.

OSEG’s original deal did not produce the promised financial returns to the city and left taxpayers exposed, with the city on the hook. OSEG’s latest proposal, rushed through the previous council, holds greater risk and spends more taxpayer dollars, adding to city debt.

Many residents are concerned that council has not learned the lessons of the LRT, another failed Public Private Partnership. They are asking what it takes for city hall to be accountable and for council to provide proper oversight and stewardship of public funds, particularly when it involves projects with such significant financial cost and risk for taxpayers.

What can you do?

Ottawa’s Finance Committee is expected to vote on Lansdowne on October 18, followed by council consideration the following week. While minor changes are possible, Lansdowne 2.0 is currently expected to be approved. If you are concerned, the time for action is now.

First, join us now in calling on the mayor and council for a new approach to revitalize Lansdowne – one that will not lead to unsustainable municipal debt or increased property taxes. Write mark.sutcliffe@ottawa.ca and shawn.menard@ottawa.ca . Share your views with friends in other parts of the city – ask them to write or call their councillor and the mayor. There must be a city-wide response to get changes in this plan or it will go ahead as is, and Ottawa taxpayers will pay.

Second, the city must rezone lands that they rezoned only a decade ago with Lansdowne 1.0. Contrary to Ottawa’s newly minted Official Plan, these planning applications will permanently change the designation of this part of Lansdowne Park from recreational and leisure public uses to a mixed-use, commercial-residential zone. Designated green space, in an area that is already underserved, will be reduced significantly as more residents move in. You can comment on this application online by searching for Application #D02-02-23-0047 in the City of Ottawa’s Development Applications Search. devapps.ottawa.ca/en/ applications/D02-02-23-0047/details.

No matter how you respond, please share widely some key points about Lansdowne 2.0, especially to friends in other parts of the city (see box).

Queen Elizabeth Driveway – what about next year?

There are differing opinions about the closure of QED to cars this summer. Traffic patterns seem to have changed this year, due in part to closure of Colonel By, but also transit failures and more folks going back to work. The GCA has received complaints about the negative traffic impacts on streets like Fifth, O’Connor, Pretoria and Strathcona.

In 2021, during the pandemic, the GCA was generally supportive but wanted to see how things evolved and get some data. This summer, we met separately with both the city and the National Capital Commission and invited both to get together to try to understand the data and mitigate impacts on Glebe streets. While the city was willing to engage, the NCC refused to meet with the city.

We hope to see better collaboration in future and will try to meet again with both organizations this fall. While we don’t vote for the NCC, its prominent role in our city means it too needs to be accountable to the people who live here.

The next meeting of the Glebe Community Association is Tuesday, September 26 at 7 p.m. at the Glebe Community Centre. Please join us.

Lansdowne 2.0 Key Points to Share

• The city will spend $400 million of taxpayer money on the project, taking on $239M+ in new debt when other priorities are not being funded.

• Lansdowne 1.0 has been a financial failure every year since OSEG launched operations in 2014. The ability of the city to pay down the new debt and avoid costs to taxpayers is based on unrealistic financial projections for both retail leasing and the Redblacks.

• OSEG proposes that the city divert 90 per cent of the property taxes from new housing units to pay for the redevelopment, leaving very little to pay for services. That will clearly put pressure on property taxes.

• The flawed planning process and opaque funding model resemble the kind of decision-making that gave us the LRT mess.

• The headache of getting to Lansdowne for events will get worse – Lansdowne 2.0 includes no plan to address traffic or transit.

• The plan calls for a new arena on the existing green space – a permanent loss of a public park area.

• The development calls for 40-storey towers. Out of scale with the rest of the area, it will cast a huge shadow and reduce light on the Aberdeen Pavilion, public gathering areas and restaurant patios.

• The plan for 1,200 units is too dense for this location, particularly given lack of access to rapid transit. The luxury development includes no deeply affordable housing despite Ottawa’s housing crisis and the fact that Lansdowne is publicly owned land.

John Crump

President

Shawn Menard

Councillor, Capital Ward

E capitalward@ottawa.ca T @capitalward

E shawn.menard@ottawa.ca www.shawnmenard.ca