Land deal inked for new Senators’ arena

Article posted by Coliseum, August 19^th, 2025

Image: Scotiabank Place, Janothird, CC BY-SA 3.0

A new downtown home arena for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators has taken a big step forward after a land deal was sealed.

The Ottawa Citizen said the Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC) have reached an agreement for the purchase and sale of land parcels totalling approximately 11 acres at LeBreton Flats.

League sources said they believe the Senators have agreed to pay around $30 million for the land, which is just 10 minutes west of Parliament Hill.

The Ottawa Senators, officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa (Canada).

They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference and play their home games at the 18,652-seat Canadian Tire Centre which opened in 1996 as the Palladium.

It was also known as the Corel Centre from 1996 to 2006 and Scotiabank Place from 2006 to 2013.

The Ottawa Citizen further stated that the original agreement with the NCC said the Senators would pay “fair market value” for the space to build a new rink and entertainment district.

Senators’ president and chief executive officer Cyril Leeder said, “We are pleased to reach an agreement of purchase and sale with the NCC to take the next step in this process.

“There are still many more hurdles to clear, and we look forward to working with the NCC and other stakeholders to achieve our shared vision of creating an event centre at LeBreton Flats that can be enjoyed by our Ottawa-Gatineau community.”

Both sides will now go ahead with the next steps in the project, which include zoning, design and approvals, as well as decontamination of the land parcels to prepare for construction.

The project will include new housing, a hotel and a district that will include restaurants.

Tobi Nussbaum, CEO of the NCC, said, “The promise of a major events centre will provide a lively and convenient attraction for residents and visitors, inject new energy and excitement into the core of the nation’s capital and further catalyze the development of LeBreton Flats.

“This agreement builds on the two previous real estate transactions completed by the NCC since 2022 on the Building LeBreton project that will see over 2,000 new housing units, along with new retail and commercial spaces built on the site.”

The final deal didn’t happen as quickly as Senators owner Michael Andlauer would have liked, but there was no shortage of issues to overcome, and it is a complex agreement.

Andlauer has stated he’d like to bring the club to downtown Ottawa because that’s where the fans have indicated they want it to be.

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