Ottawa Baseball Stadium

[kwoldtimer]

Does anyone know why the baseball stadium is not used as a concert venue in the summer? It always seems to me like a good opportunity missed.

[waterloowarrior]

Ottawa business group makes pitch for baseball stadium

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/...248/story.html
BY PATRICK DARE AND DON CAMPBELL , THE OTTAWA CITIZENAUGUST 24, 2009 6:01 PMBE THE FIRST TO POST A COMMENT


STORYPHOTOS ( 2 )



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David Butler, chief executive of Ottawa Trolley Company and representing Ottawa Stadium Group, accompanied by Councillor Bob Monette, rivht, and little leaguers and parents talk to the media prior to the delivery of OSG's executive summary and offer to lease for the Ottawa Stadium to the City of Ottawa.
Photograph by: Jean Levac, The Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA — With a heartfelt rendition of Take Me Out to the Ball Game and a few throws on the grass at City Hall, a business partnership on Monday made a first pitch to Ottawa Council to get control of the city's empty professional baseball stadium.

David Butler, chief executive officer of Bytown Trolley Company, arrived on one of his vehicles with a group of singing Little League players. Butler was delivering a proposal to the city to take over the empty stadium on Coventry Road and have it used for both Can-Am baseball and amateur play, concerts and festivals, as well as space for businesses.

The stadium is considered a superb baseball venue and was home to the Ottawa Lynx from 1993-2007. The club saw large crowds to its 10,000-seat stadium in the early years but attendance fell off sharply in later years.

The Can-Am league had planned to operate a franchise in Ottawa this season — the Ottawa Voyageurs — but instead it pulled the plug eight weeks before the start of the season.

Butler didn't divulge many details of his proposal but said that the stadium needs a variety of uses through the year to be a successful operation. One of his plans is to install awnings over part of the seating to provide shelter from rain and sun.

Butler arrived with a partner, Duncan MacDonald, but said he has other partners for the venture who don't wish to be identified yet.

Buying a Can-Am franchise, should one become available, would cost the group $750,000 U.S.

Orléans Councillor Bob Monette said he was pleased to help deliver the pitch because he's been frustrated that such an expensive venue sits empty and not maintained.

“The last thing we want to see is another year of an empty stadium,” said Monette. He said that if the business group, called Ottawa Stadium Group, is able to get a professional baseball franchise for the city, the team would get crowds in the range of 2,000 to 3,000.

MacDonald said the Ottawa Stadium Group is looking for a long-term deal to make it a worthwhile proposition and build a fan base for a new team.

“It's a state-of-the-art facility in Canada's capital city. It would be a shame to knock it down,” said MacDonald.

Rick O'Connor, the city's solicitor and clerk, accepted the bid proposal on behalf of city manager Kent Kirkpatrick. O'Connor said he expects other proposals because several groups have expressed an interest in the stadium. He said the city would likely reach a decision by the end of the year.

Cam-Am League commissioner Miles Wolff said he remains optimistic his league will return to Ottawa but says the league needs to know by early October if Ottawa figures in the plans for 2010.

He said he has been in contact and had meaningful discussions with several interested parties in bringing pro baseball back to Ottawa and that Ottawa Stadium Group was merely one of those groups and not necessarily a front-runner.

Wolff said he was disappointed Ottawa Stadium went unused all season.

"The Can-Am League had turned back the keys for the facility to the city in April," said Wolff. "The league had hoped that the park could be used for baseball this summer.

"But liability and other legal issues made it impossible for either the city or the league to reopen it this year."

While there is currently no Can-Am franchise in the city, Wolff is paying $108,000 in rent per season to the city.

Monette said baseball weather isn't over yet and there may be some kind of arrangement worked out in the next few days to “get somebody on the field.”

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen



and a CBC article...
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/stor...l-stadium.html

[waterloowarrior]

Ottawa Baseball Bid Could Include Bus Station
http://communities.canada.com/ottawa...cted-soon.aspx
By KENNETH_GRAY MON, SEP 28 2009 COMMENTS(0) THE BULLDOG

Filed under: City of Ottawa, baseball, Ottawa Stadium, David Butler, Bytown Trolley Company
A group headed by David Butler, the CEO of Ottawa Stadium Group and proprietor of the Bytown Trolley Company, is expected to make a bid to rent Ottawa Stadium this week or next for minor-league baseball and other activities in 2010.

Duncan MacDonald, a partner in OSG, said last week that among the "blue-skying" ideas the group has is putting a drive-thru coffee shop on the site, bringing the left-field fence in from Coventry Road and placing a retail-commercial establishment on the reclaimed space, putting artificial turf on the infield to facilitate moving a concert stage on the field, and even moving the Catherine Street bus station onto the site.

MacDonald would not reveal what minor-pro league the proposed team would play in, but he said that would be announced soon. He said a number of teams in the Can-Am loop, in which the Ottawa Rapidz played last year, are experiencing financial trouble or are up for sale.

The operation could also lease office space in the stadium building and would have deals in place to provide parking in nearby buildings and trolley service from the Train Transitway station to the stadium. Previous tenants of the Coventry Road ballpark have complained that the city has sold off so much parking that it makes operating a team profitably there impossible. In fact, the club would discourage single-occupant cars from parking at the limited stadium lot and encourage them to take the bus. The team would also lobby city council to get neighbourhood parking opened up. At present, game day parking is banned in large areas around the stadium.

In addition to live entertainment in the ball diamond, MacDonald said the club would erect a new scoreboard there.

MacDonald said the new baseball team cannot be allowed to fail for if it did, he didn't expect that the sport would reappear at the now-abandoned stadium. "It's strike three."

He said the club would offer special deals to teams, seniors, youngsters, veterans and the military to help them attend games.

[Yroc]

even moving the Catherine Street bus station onto the site

Would be a great idea.. There was plans to put a walking bridge over the 417 at this location. This would connect the bus to the train and both to transit (with a hotel right next door). I like it.

[Zach6668]

A drive thru coffee shop? There's a Starbucks like 4 seconds away.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Zach6668

A drive thru coffee shop? There's a Starbucks like 4 seconds away.

A drive-thru coffee shop is a euphemism for (another) Tim Hortons.

[Sens1992]

Originally Posted by Yroc

Would be a great idea.. There was plans to put a walking bridge over the 417 at this location. This would connect the bus to the train and both to transit (with a hotel right next door). I like it.

I do too! The walking bridge would then be very usefull. The Train Station of the transitway is totally underused so combined with the VIA Train Station and a Central Bus Terminal, the construction of such a bridge will be a sure shot. I just hope that the ballpark will live once more but I have some doubts...

[waterloowarrior]

Chiarelli Continues Fight to Open Ottawa Stadium
http://communities.canada.com/ottawa...a-stadium.aspx
By KENNETH_GRAY SUN, OCT 25 2009 COMMENTS(0) THE BULLDOG

Filed under: Rick Chiarelli, City of Ottawa, Vanier, Overbrook, Ottawa Stadium, Jacques Legendre

College Councillor Rick Chiarelli has vowed to continue his fight to convince the Ottawa Senators to take over Ottawa Stadium.

Chiarelli was expected to meet with Rideau-Rockcliffe Councillor Jacques Legendre last week to discuss opening up the surrounding neighbourhoods to on-street parking. Legendre represents the area surrounding the ballpark. The Senators major complaint about operating the stadium is the lack of parking on the site.

The Senators also had doubts about bringing concerts to the stadium because they were likely to duplicate the acts that already appear at Scotiabank Place.

Chiarelli said creating street parking in Overbrook and Vanier would provide more than enough spaces to make the stadium viable. The councillor also said there is a large concert organization that might be interested in the Coventry Road venue for shows.

[jchamoun79]

Concerts really are the way to go for this stadium. Forget baseball - Turn it into a outdoor concert amphitheatre, with a permanent stage. Many U.S. cities have these, and we know how successful the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto has been.

With the proper renovation, Ottawa could easily join the summer outdoor concert circuit.

[waterloowarrior]

City Has Three Proposals for Operating Ottawa Stadium
http://communities.canada.com/ottawa...a-stadium.aspx
By KENNETH_GRAY TUE, DEC 1 2009 COMMENTS(0) THE BULLDOG

Filed under: City of Ottawa, soccer, baseball, Ottawa Stadium, proposal
Here is a report, obtained by The Bulldog, on the future of Coventry Road's Ottawa Stadium. The report says the City of Ottawa has received two unsolicited proposals for operating baseball in the park and another proposal concerning putting a professional soccer team there:



staff report
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/cit...0RoadFinal.htm


interesting background info

Staff recalls that when the Ottawa Stadium was in the planning stages by the former City of Ottawa, the then adjacent property owner, the Canada Life Assurance Company as represented by its real estate subsidiary Adason Properties Limited (Canada Life), strongly advocated that the stadium and the adjacent properties be developed as a mixed-use employment area with centralized/shared parking facilities and a pedestrian bridge connecting this area to the Train Transitway Station.

Canada Life also believed the concourse of the stadium facility could be designed to provide grade level retail that could serve as a convenient all weather connection between potential office development on the east and west sides of the stadium.

The former City of Ottawa did not act at that time on the Canada Life proposal due to budget constraints and ultimately Canada Life and the adjacent property owner to the east sold their properties and the new owner developed large format (big box) retail stores.

To maximize the value of this property to the City both financially and municipally, staff believe that any development planning for the future use and/or potential disposition of this property should, therefore, consider both a direct connection to the City's transitway and its designation in the City's OP and Zoning By-law for mixed use development, whether or not a stadium facility remains.

[waterloowarrior]

^ the soccer team is proposed by Neil Malhotra of Claridge
http://communities.canada.com/ottawa...a-stadium.aspx

[lrt's friend]

I drove by the stadium today and was shocked by how small the parking lot is now, with the new building going up. I also noticed that part of the parking lot had been barracaded off. Surely, not another building in the works. I don't know how anybody can make a go of it with so little parking and no good transit access.

[waterloowarrior]

OSG makes official bid for Ottawa Stadium
Posted Jan 22, 2010
BY EMC NEWS
http://www.emcarnprior.ca/20100122/s...Ottawa+Stadium


Ottawa Stadium Group (OSG), has formally made application to the city of Ottawa in response to the city’s Request for Interest (RFI) in the search and procurement for leasing Ottawa Stadium in 2010.
OSG, consisting of local businesspersons and key baseball personnel, tabled the bid to the city of Ottawa on Jan. 21, the final day for submissions.
The OSG bid proposal for leasing Ottawa stadium was developed to meet the city’s selection criteria which insisted that the tenant must have a semi-professional or professional sport playing in the stadium in 2010.
The OSG bid includes a combination of both semi-professional and professional baseball, both men and women, exceeding the required minimum amount of 20 home games.
Ottawa Stadium Group believes Ottawa stadium should be utilized as a multi-use facility in the same manner as other similar North American facilities do so, including Ottawa’s newest open-air stadium project being developed for Lansdowne Park.

[reidjr]

The league the pro team would be in is called the inter-county abseball league based out of southern ontario.

Teams
Toronto
Guelph
Barrie
London
Brantford
Kitchener
Hamilton
MIssissauga

Teams play a 36 game schedule.

[phil235]

This is league is not a good fit for Ottawa. The teams operate on small budgets, and every team is currently within 2 hours of each other. That would become 7 hours in the case of Ottawa-London.

I suppose they could find a way to do weekend series etc., but it isn't a long-term solution.

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by phil235

This is league is not a good fit for Ottawa. The teams operate on small budgets, and every team is currently within 2 hours of each other. That would become 7 hours in the case of Ottawa-London.

I suppose they could find a way to do weekend series etc., but it isn't a long-term solution.

I think the league needs to expand out side of the 2 hour area to grow and ottawa could be a real good start.

[blackjagger]

based on who is involved currently ottawa would be a good fit and could help grow more franchises in eastern ontario, perhaps Kingston or even Belleville/Trenton area.

As for 7 hours to London maybe on the worst day in a snow storm. Most of the time all teams would be at most 5 - 5 1/2 hours.

[Yroc]

I don't think allowing on street parking nearby would resolve the parking issue. I would like to know which streets Chiarelli had in mind when he was asking for on street parking. It is my view that there are not many streets nearby that would be suitable for this (most of them are quite far from the venue, many are "privates" which means the city has no authority to open them, and the rest already allow on street parking).

More likely would be for them to use Canadian Tire, Bestbuy or Hampton parking (paying the owners for use) along with parking at the two nearby RCMP buildings (Headquarters and the one on Coventry.. I believe HQ is to vacate soonish). If more was needed, a long planned bridge that would connect to to the south side of the 417 would open the train station and Walmart parking on that side among others (again they would have to negotiate with the owners). This with the added benefit of adding good transit access.

Perhaps Chiarelli can ask that on street parking be allowed near our hospitals. It is a shame that folks have to pay $14.00 to visit sick family or attend to medical appointment at the hospital. It is not like there are no viable on street parking spots nearby (these are however all posted no parking zones, which I suspect is a result of the nearby residents petitioning city Council).

[phil235]

Originally Posted by blackjagger

based on who is involved currently ottawa would be a good fit and could help grow more franchises in eastern ontario, perhaps Kingston or even Belleville/Trenton area.

As for 7 hours to London maybe on the worst day in a snow storm. Most of the time all teams would be at most 5 - 5 1/2 hours.

If you can make it to London in 5 hours by bus, I think you'd have some sort of record. London is 630 km away, and you need to pass through Toronto to get there. But more to the point, the closest team to Ottawa is Toronto at 4+ hours (assuming the demise of slightly-closer Oshawa). Every other team is farther away. These aren't trips you can make in an evening, as is the case with the rest of the league.

An eastern division would make sense, but that is a rather big endeavour and not likely to happen soon. What you have currently is a very small budget, local league that has been running successfully for years in that part of southern Ontario. Once you start taking about significant travel costs, it could mean trouble for lots of the teams. Heck, the Toronto team doesn't even charge admission.

[ottawatraffic]

Originally Posted by blackjagger

based on who is involved currently ottawa would be a good fit and could help grow more franchises in eastern ontario, perhaps Kingston or even Belleville/Trenton area.

As for 7 hours to London maybe on the worst day in a snow storm. Most of the time all teams would be at most 5 - 5 1/2 hours.

Based on who is involved this is a good fit? I think its probably the opposite and the final nail in the coffin for baseball in Ottawa. The reputation of this group has been terrible in Ottawa