Bettman - Senators need a new home

[Mike Jones]

The big problem in Ottawa (aside from a small corporate base) is the NCC. It's an organization that oversees all public land in the city, made up of members across Canada. They often don't give a damn how things effect the city or local economics, and tend to have conflicting interests with residents.

Here in Calgary we call it "City Council".

Thanks for your response and clarification - I found it helpful.

 

[Transplanted Caper]

Eugene Melnyk, Gary Bettman, and the NCC. Hard to know who has the most inflated sense of self-importance. Throw in a Mayoral race next year, and let the good times roll!

 

[madhi19]

The big problem in Ottawa (aside from a small corporate base) is the NCC. It's an organization that oversees all public land in the city, made up of members across Canada. They often don't give a damn how things effect the city or local economics, and tend to have conflicting interests with residents.

Considering all the McCondo poping up everywhere around town, we could do with somebody slowing this crap down a bit.

By the way. I bet the Sens real play is to also get a bunch of land around their new arena... For a condo project.

 

[JMROWE]

Here we go again Gary Bettmen making threats of relocation of another Canadian team first it was the Flames now the Senators you don't see him making these kind of threats American teams like the Coyotes , Panthers & Hurricanes why simple there American & he is willing to bend over backwards to save them & If he could get away with it he would move all the Canadian to the USA. with the exception of the Montreal Canadians & Toronto Maple Leafs why simple he & his inner circle hates Canada

In my opinion the NHL. needs better management & it starts at the top because right now the NHL. pretty much hockey in general is one of the least popular major sports in North America heck I think it even behind soccer , auto racing & college sports that is when you know your sport has problems when you are behind a boring sport like soccer , A sport that is not really sport in auto racing & sports being played by college kids that is why the NHL. needs some major changes with management , marketing & relocating teams that are drain on the league .

 

[Albatros]

Here we go again Gary Bettmen making threats of relocation of another Canadian team first it was the Flames now the Senators you don't see him making these kind of threats American teams like the Coyotes , Panthers & Hurricanes why simple there American & he is willing to bend over backwards to save them & If he could get away with it he would move all the Canadian to the USA. with the exception of the Montreal Canadians & Toronto Maple Leafs why simple he & his inner circle hates Canada

Can't really blame him. I mean, having teams in places like Phoenix and Miami makes the league as a whole easier to market while no casual sports fan in the United States is interested in watching their local team play Calgary or Ottawa.

 

[powerstuck]

Arizona has a new arena. It's the Centre Videotron

Don't worry. Centre Videotron will remain empty to facilitate any pressure NHL and Sens may need to put on NCC or whoever may not give them what they want. It's located a few hundred miles further north-east so no major points blocking the NHL playing the old tune ''Give us what we need or we going to Quebec''.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Considering all the McCondo poping up everywhere around town, we could do with somebody slowing this crap down a bit.

By the way. I bet the Sens real play is to also get a bunch of land around their new arena... For a condo project.

Yes, about half the land is going to condos, and a few shops and open public space.

I believe the holdup right now is the land is contaminated (has been for a century), an no one knows who is responsible to clean it up. Since the land will still be owned by the city (I believe the agreement is a 99 year lease?), it's hard to imagine a private entity paying the entire cleanup cost. Of course, they hold Bluesfest on that land every summer, so I have to wonder just how bad the contamination really is.

 

[Inkling]

One advantage the Senators have over other teams looking for a new home is that they actually do own their building and all the land around it. You would expect them to use that asset to finance their new building downtown, which they should also own. If Melnyk expects to have a brand new building downtown, and still own the building and land out in Kanata, then he better have a big stack of cash in his pocket to use.

 

[Albatros]

Will someone want to buy the Kanata arena if a new one is built downtown? I imagine it will immediately become a toxic piece of real estate in that case.

 

[Masked]

Will someone want to buy the Kanata arena if a new one is built downtown? I imagine it will immediately become a toxic piece of real estate in that case.

Not at all. Tear it down and the land is in a great location for lots of different uses.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Yes, about half the land is going to condos, and a few shops and open public space.

I believe the holdup right now is the land is contaminated (has been for a century), an no one knows who is responsible to clean it up. Since the land will still be owned by the city (I believe the agreement is a 99 year lease?), it's hard to imagine a private entity paying the entire cleanup cost. Of course, they hold Bluesfest on that land every summer, so I have to wonder just how bad the contamination really is.

Ottawa doesn't need anymore condos. I don't know why there is such an influx of condos for a city like Ottawa.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Ottawa doesn't need anymore condos. I don't know why there is such an influx of condos for a city like Ottawa.

Ottawa is a growing city. Definitely can use more housing, especially in the city core.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Ottawa is a growing city. Definitely can use more housing, especially in the city core.

The suburbs are littered with vacant condos.

 

[branch]

Here in Calgary we call it "City Council".

Thanks for your response and clarification - I found it helpful.

Unfortunately enough for Ottawa residents we have both an inept city council and the NCC which is worse.

 

[SunDancer]

Don't worry. Centre Videotron will remain empty to facilitate any pressure NHL and Sens may need to put on NCC or whoever may not give them what they want. It's located a few hundred miles further north-east so no major points blocking the NHL playing the old tune ''Give us what we need or we going to Quebec''.

The Sens to QC? Well, on the bright side, the commute from downtown Ottawa wouldn't be much worse.

 

[MXD]

The suburbs are littered with vacant condos.

Why, exactly, would one look for a condo in the suburbs?

I can mostly see two reasons :
- Working in the suburb area to begin with
- Can't afford a condo downtown

Those two "groups" of people would be extremely unlikely to buy a condo downtown. My point being : having a metric ton of vacant condos in the suburbs doesn't affect in any way the supply/demand of condos downtown.

(And there's indeed way too many condos in the area, and, at some point, is a very strong incentive for NOT buying condos, because, let's face it, for the younger demographics, the main advantage in buying a condo is to possibly flip it when you're ready to move in something bigger.)

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Why, exactly, would one look for a condo in the suburbs?

They aren't high rise condos. They're stacked condos and there's tons of them

 

[MXD]

They aren't high rise condos. They're stacked condos and there's tons of them

I'm afraid I strongly edited my post after you quoted it...

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

They aren't high rise condos. They're stacked condos and there's tons of them

Not really. Vacancies aren't all that high. Ottawa is one of the faster growing cities in the country.

 

[edog37]

Here we go again Gary Bettmen making threats of relocation of another Canadian team first it was the Flames now the Senators you don't see him making these kind of threats American teams like the Coyotes , Panthers & Hurricanes why simple there American & he is willing to bend over backwards to save them & If he could get away with it he would move all the Canadian to the USA. with the exception of the Montreal Canadians & Toronto Maple Leafs why simple he & his inner circle hates Canada

In my opinion the NHL. needs better management & it starts at the top because right now the NHL. pretty much hockey in general is one of the least popular major sports in North America heck I think it even behind soccer , auto racing & college sports that is when you know your sport has problems when you are behind a boring sport like soccer , A sport that is not really sport in auto racing & sports being played by college kids that is why the NHL. needs some major changes with management , marketing & relocating teams that are drain on the league .

nonsense. Bettman is performing his duty to his bosses, the owners. He did the same thing here in Pittsburgh, putting pressure on the politicians to get the new arena built. Standard procedure....

 

[pucky]

nahhh, just the team

but rumours are that the next city for a NHL team is either Houston TX or Seattle WA... so not to QC

and yes they need a new home, 1.5-2 hrs to get home after a game is WAY to long...downtown please

Who is going to pay for the new arena? Has anyone said yet? I can't see the city agreeing to any deal in which they pay a large chunk or even any portion.

Also, Bettman and the NHL don't care about the small market (Canadian) teams.... if Ottawa moves, it's no sweat off their back. Any expansion or transfer of franchises will go to Houston and Seattle and maybe, just MAYBE after that, Quebec City will get a franchise but not until those other cities get theirs. Arizona and Florida can play in front of 'AHL audiences', the NHL still won't move one to QC. The NHL's priority are their American franchises even if the fans aren't showing up.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Who is going to pay for the new arena? Has anyone said yet? I can't see the city agreeing to any deal in which they pay a large chunk or even any portion.

Also, Bettman and the NHL don't care about the small market (Canadian) teams.... if Ottawa moves, it's no sweat off their back. Any expansion or transfer of franchises will go to Houston and Seattle and maybe, just MAYBE after that, Quebec City will get a franchise but not until those other cities get theirs. Arizona and Florida can play in front of 'AHL audiences', the NHL still won't move one to QC. The NHL's priority are their American franchises even if the fans aren't showing up.

Come on now. The Oilers, Flames, and Sens were all in danger of relocating in the late 90's/early 2000's. The NHL hasn't exactly been trigger-happy with relocation in recent years. It's pretty much a last resort.

Bettman and the owners are just doing their due diligence to get public support and funding. At the end of the day they'll probably budge. I can't imagine the Flames or Sens going anywhere.

 

[varsaku]

I still don't get why stadiums have to be so extravagant. When you buy a house, you buy one that you can afford. The NHL acts like it has NFL power and money. They should not be alienating their existing fan base in the attempt to bring in new fans.

 

[Masked]

Come on now. The Oilers, Flames, and Sens were all in danger of relocating in the late 90's/early 2000's. The NHL hasn't exactly been trigger-happy with relocation in recent years. It's pretty much a last resort.

Bettman and the owners are just doing their due diligence to get public support and funding. At the end of the day they'll probably budge. I can't imagine the Flames or Sens going anywhere.

The Senators were never in danger of relocating.

The Flames weren't either. The Oilers were because they had an outdated rink even back then. But in Alberta there's a been a theme of their ownerships blaming their poor management on anything but the idiots they've had running the shows there at various times.

 

[Fenway]

The Senators were never in danger of relocating.

The Flames weren't either. The Oilers were because they had an outdated rink even back then. But in Alberta there's a been a theme of their ownerships blaming their poor management on anything but the idiots they've had running the shows there at various times.

It would be foolish to assume the NHL will not move out of either market IF they don't get a deal done

Gary Bettman turns up heat on Ottawa, Calgary to get arenas built - Sportsnet.ca