By Mainstreeter Staff
In our August issue, John Dance reported that as we went to print Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) had undertaken a strategic review of the Lansdowne Park site but details had not yet been revealed and that public consultation hadn’t occurred. Also, the article noted that Councillor Shawn Menard had proposed a vision for the future of Lansdowne that sought to “animate Aberdeen Square” plaza to the north of the Aberdeen Pavilion.
On September 24th, the City announced that a three-party agreement had been reached to rename the Aberdeen Square the “Casino Lac-Leamy Plaza at Lansdowne” and to eliminate car traffic, create infrastructure for events and add shaded areas in the open plaza space. The newly-created partnership between the City of Ottawa, OSEG and Casino Lac-Leamy will see $250,000 in capital funds begin to flow by next Spring to turn the plaza into a multi-purpose area with performance spaces for local artists and musicians and added space for new events like a Christmas market and for popular community events like Ottawa Farmers’
Market.
Councillor Shawn Menard
According to Councillor Menard, the newly-renamed plaza “…is what our neighbourhood has been asking for. The plaza has been a good spot for the farmers’ market but without shady areas or seating, it can be difficult for families to spend as much time there as they’d like, so I think we’ll see far greater utilization of the area in the daytime once the work is completed.” Additional details on OSEG’s plans for the future of Lansdowne are expected when a report is provided to the City’s Finance & Economic Development Committee, scheduled for November. To date, no further community consultation with residents surrounding the Lansdowne area has been undertaken or scheduled, an increasing concern for the local community associations including the Old Ottawa East Community Association.
