What’s the rush?
After a lengthy debate on the $332.5-million proposal from the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) happened at City Council this week. The final vote ended with a 17 to seven in favour of starting work on a plan to see the north side stands at TD Place and the Civic Centre demolished and rebuilt, and three towers added to the site to provide a mixture of 1,200 condos and rental units with at least 120 affordable housing units.
I was one of the seven who voted against the proposal on supporting the work plan. I would have like to see a broader and fulsome public consultation had before any decisions were made. Council has many major issues at play right now, we’re just starting to raise our heads after the pandemic. We’ve incurred significant debt in the last two years and are getting very close to the lame duck period before the election, and there are many unanswered questions about this deal.
As The Citizen editorial this week, “What’s the rush?” Why not wait to let the next Council consider all the ramifications, allow more time for a fulsome public input process that will bring out all the issues, allow some innovative business and environmental ideas to come out? That is what will restore the public trust in our leadership on this important issue that will affect our city for years to come.
There is still too much unknown and too little due diligence in this plan to have decided yet, therefore I did not vote in favour.
