I call on the City to conduct robust public consultations before entering into negotiations with OSEG
Will you sign?
In a staff report coming to the Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO) on November 5th, 2019, the city is seeking to direct staff to strike a deal with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) to transfer operations, programming and city control of half of the site over to OSEG (a deal that will be brought back to council for a vote). This would mean Aberdeen Pavilion, Aberdeen Square, the Horticulture Building, the Great Lawn and other areas of Lansdowne would be transferred in a commercialization of the remaining public space at Lansdowne. No business plan has been presented for such a move. No vendors who rent the space have been informed and zero public consultation has taken place.
*Edited*: This intro text was updated to reflect a change in the language of the staff report. Initially the report sought to give delegated authority to staff to negotiate a deal, but now any deal negotiated by staff will be brought back to council for a vote.