By Brandy Harrison
Longtime fans like Ryan Hardy say football is an integral part of the city’s identity.
“Football is in our blood,” says 28-year-old Hardy, who supports the bid for an Ottawa CFL team.
But not all Ottawa businesses or residents agree. When it comes to bringing back professional football, the city is divided.
Last week, the corporate services and economic development committee recommended tearing down the lower southside stands at Frank Clair Stadium after an engineering study revealed stress cracks.
The deterioration of the stadium prompted city councillors to propose an international design competition to revitalize Lansdowne Park.
The motion, brought forth by Coun. Clive Doucet and Coun. Peter Hume, will be considered by city council during 2008 budget deliberations.
In the meantime, a group of Ottawa businesspeople have a plan of their own.
Ottawa 67’s owner Jeff Hunt and three local developers would like to purchase the majority of Lansdowne Park from the city and develop it commercially and residentially in a bid to bring a CFL team to Ottawa.
Acquisition of a franchise is conditional upon the ownership group being allowed to privately develop the park, Hunt says.
Centretown resident Alex Hodgins agrees with Hardy that professional sports teams can create a sense of community.
But he also cautions that a new team must find a way to attract more support.
Despite a rich history in the capital region that stretches as far back as 1876, Ottawa CFL franchises folded in 1996 and again in 2006 after only four seasons.
“I don’t want to see another franchise go down,” Hodgins says. “It looks bad for the city.”
There are always the diehard fans, but most people just want to see a winning team, says Clint Ford.
“If a team starts to slump, so does attendance,” says the Ottawa native.
In 1996, the Ottawa Rough Riders final year, the average attendance at Frank Clair Stadium was just under 17,000 people. Attendance jumped to almost 24,000 people in the Ottawa Renegades’ inaugural year in 2002. However, after four rough seasons, attendance was only 19,000 fans in 2005, according to CFL records.
A successful, permanent team on the field at Lansdowne also means a boost for business, says Jonathan Hatchell, the vice-president of operations and business development for The Royal Oak chain of pubs. He says the area misses the additional business and football’s lack of staying power is a problem.
“The last two episodes have left people with a bit of a sour taste in their mouth,” Hatchell says.
For Caren Von Merveldt, the owner of Von’s Bistro, football teams have had a negative impact on business.
Von Merveldt says the pubs may benefit, but football fans do not generally spend money eating out and tend to block traffic outside her Bank Street restaurant.
Surprisingly, there are also some sports fan-wear stores like Elgin Sports that did not profit from a CFL football team. The Grey Cup in 2004 increased business, but store manager Jean Dextras says that in general, football teams coming and going over the years haven’t impacted sales.
He believes there is just not enough support to justify another football team in Ottawa.
However, the Lansdowne Park’s beautiful location should be put to good use, Dextras says.
“It should be addressed, but not with a professional sports team. That should be a very low priority if it is a priority at all.”
Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes agrees that adding a sports team should not be the first decision made about Lansdowne Park.
As a member of the planning and environmental committee, Holmes promotes the design competition and says she wants the land to remain public property.
Doucet says a rebuilt Frank Clair Stadium may be considered, but the process cannot begin with people who have a financial motive, like developers.
“It must have a vision for what the public wants to see at Lansdowne Park,” he says.
Hatchell says he believes private development can be done tastefully to blend with the existing neighbourhood. He adds that city councillors and developers could come to a compromise.
Hunt echoes this statement and says he believes he can work with city councillors to find common ground. He stresses any ideas the group has had are not final and any development would not take place without community consultation.
“We will come out of this process with a design that has everyone’s viewpoint incorporated. We will give thoughtful consideration to every opinion.”