The LeBreton Flats redevelopment needs a fresh start

In the frantic damage control since Eugene Melnyk's company launched a whopping $700-million lawsuit against his partners in the LeBreton Flats redevelopment project, politicians, bureaucrats and business leaders have delivered a single key message: they are committed to moving forward with this project.

But forward to where?

The only logical — and ethical — end to this fraught journey is a new bidding process. 

The National Capital Commission, which owns the 20-hectare swath of empty space and is overseeing its redevelopment, has given itself until January to figure out what it might do now that one partner in the RendezVous LeBreton Group —Melnyk's Capital Sports Management Inc. — is suing another partner, John Ruddy's Trinity Developments.

And while all the officials involved are disappointed in this situation, they insist that something would happen on this land just outside Ottawa's current downtown core.

Just look at how committed everyone is:

• Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez: "I know how important it is for the NCC and for me, for the government, for the prime minister … we're committed to moving forward with this project."
• NCC CEO Mark Kristmanson: "Both the government and the NCC are committed to getting it done — not stopping — continuing on the process and getting it done." 
• Mayor Jim Watson: "I'm certainly very committed to ensuring we see the revitalization, whether it's with this partnership or another partnership."

It's understandable that, having travelled so far down a path of actually doing something at LeBreton Flats, people want to keep up the momentum.

But there are limited options for what's next, and they are either fraught, depressing or possibly downright wrong.

Options mostly unappealing

Moving forward with RendezVous LeBreton's plans — which include a downtown NHL arena, thousands of residential units, retail and offices, community centres and other public spaces — seems highly improbable with this massive legal dispute.

And there's no going back to the second-place bidder in the competition to redevelop LeBreton.

After its board of directors authorized the NCC to enter into formal negotiations with RendezVous LeBreton last January, it effectively ended the competition.

The process does not allow the NCC to return to runner-up Devcore Canderel DLS Group.

Doing nothing is a real, but exceptionally depressing option. 

Changing partners fraught

Despite the public spat, neither the Senators nor Trinity have officially withdrawn from the bidding.

The NCC has said that both parties have "many options" within the structure of the procurement process.

But because the rules of engagement are not public, it's impossible to know what those options are and how much RendezVous LeBreton can change before being disqualified.

Just because we want to keep the process going, it doesn't mean we should throw together a bit of the old plan and maybe something new.

We might get shovels in the ground sooner, but what sort of place will be we building for the city?

That may be what was on Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna's mind when she spoke to reporters in the House of Commons foyer Wednesday.

"This is an incredible piece of land in downtown Ottawa,"  said McKenna, whose riding includes LeBreton Flats.

"We need to be looking at how we move forward in a positive way, but ensure we get it right for the next 100 years."

Starting over — but not from scratch

The only reasonable thing to do at this point would be to start the request for proposal process over.

It's a dispiriting idea for many, but it's hard to see another ethical option.

We won't need to start from scratch.

As the NCC was at pains to point out last week, it has had four teams working on this project for years.

According the Kristmanson, the NCC now has a "profound understanding of the site that didn't exist three years ago."

Among other things, the contamination study and plan for remediation is complete.

There's an understanding of where city infrastructure has to go and a light rail system with two LeBreton stations will be running through the site shortly. 

Process needs to start with hockey

One thing a new process would need to address head-on is the new arena.

A new home for the Senators was a signature part of the project, the element people were most excited about.

The lawsuit alleges the NCC approached the Senators to gauge their interest in bidding for LeBreton, which the NCC said it has no comment about.

Whether that move would be appropriate is a question for another day.

But the question we do need to ask now is whether we want an arena downtown.

If we do, how would that work?

Set aside land until the NCC is one day able to make a deal with the local team?

Or should we move on to look for something completely different?

It may be a contentious question, but it is also an honest place to start over again.