The National Capital Commission is laying out a vision for a new Ottawa Senators arena that would seat about 16,000 fans and, if everything moves ahead, open in the mid-2030s.
That estimate appeared in an NCC request for developer proposals released Friday on Oct. 30, according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch in a story published Monday in the Ottawa Citizen. The commission, which oversees development and urban planning in Canada’s Capital Region, is looking at the Aqueduct District of LeBreton Flats as the site for the project.
The proposed building would be a little smaller than Canadian Tire Centre, which currently holds about 17,000 and can be stretched to more than 18,000 for marquee regular-season and playoff games, Garrioch wrote.
The Senators have not gone public with a formal arena plan, but the club has been working with architects on the design of the building and the surrounding district. The NCC’s proposal calls for the arena to rise alongside homes and other businesses near the Canadian War Museum, which draws 500,000 visitors a year.
“The district will be connected by rapid transit, surrounded by new homes, workplaces, parks and public spaces, and linked directly to what will become one of the region’s premier event venues with an expected capacity of approximately 16,000 people,” Tobi Nussbaum, the chief executive officer of the NCC, touted in a letter to potential developers.
Garrioch also reported that Senators president and chief executive officer Cyril Leeder has said the team hopes to reveal its arena plans early in 2027.
Last year, the Ottawa Citizen reported that Sens owner Michael Andlauer and his partners had bought 11 acres in LeBreton Flats with the goal of developing it. Garrioch wrote that they also have the option to purchase additional land from the NCC, though they have not yet decided whether to do so.
The Senators have played at Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, west of the city, since the building opened in 1996.
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