1) Rendez Vous #LeBreton Group proposes a major event centre for sports and entertainment performances.
2)Focus Equities proposes to house the HQ of an international org. accompanied by cultural venues
3)Devcore Group proposes a concept with multiple cultural institutions developed around a grande allée
4).@ClaridgeHomes proposes indoor and outdoor concert facilities, cultural enterprises.
All four proponents also proposed green spaces and residential and commercial developments
Each proponent will prepare a high-quality design proposal to be submitted in November 2015.
The @NCC_CCN expects to announce the succesful proponent in mid-2016
Advantage Sens.
Claridge already has a big mark against them from the ugly building they just built in Lebreton, and also don't have the experience of a multi-use development such as this. They are local, which is about all they have going for them. The idea of indoor and outdoor concern area is a good one though.
Devcore has some potential for style points with the big greenspace and if the cultural institutions are top notch, but all the others have some green space too. The cultural institutions have to be a major draw to the majority as well, not just to a small niche. Tough one, but who knows.
The Focus bid is anyone's guess, but unless that international HQ is the UN, Greenpeace or some other major international draw to locals and visitors, a great international tenant for commercial space is hardly something to win a bid on. A bit of a wildcard though, depending on what the org is.
The Sens can match the musical allure of the other bids given their arena will undoubtedly be able to handle much bigger draws base on sheer size, plus the Blues fest can continue next door and in conjunction, handle even bigger acts at the Sens arena at the same time. Good to see they have some green space in their bid as well.
Presuming the Sens have decent green space and LESS condo's than the other bids, I'd say it's their bid to lose. Of course, a lot depends on the details of their financial proposal and what the "meat" of some of these other bids is, but overall, this is good.