The Ottawa Senators may have reduced the capacity of Canadian Tire Centre by 1,500 seats, but their focus is now shifting to their new arena project.
The Senators are redeveloping the LeBreton Flats, the location of their potential facility. It will include commercial and residential real estate, along with the venue and public property in the area. However, there are still a few kinks to iron out, according to team president and CEO Tom Anselmi.
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“We’re really just getting back into the negotiations of ‘What does it all look like? What does it all mean? How big is the bread basket?’ It’s still early in the process, but it’s a priority now and we’re getting after it,” Anselmi said on Sportsnet 590 The FAN’s Prime Time Sports. “Now we got to figure out how does it work, how does it get funded, who are the partners, what role does each of the stakeholders play and all that kind of stuff. I quite often say these buildings take two years to get built, but that is usually the easy part, building them.
“It’s a priority now and the (National Capital Commission) said they’re hoping by the end of the year that we’ve got the basics figured out.”
The initial opening of the arena is set for 2021, but it is dependent on how long this current process takes to complete.
Listen to the full interview below.
