Kristine Walkden, Centretown News Businesses want a music venue included in the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats.Some local businesses want a concert venue included in the four upcoming proposals to redevelop LeBreton Flats. The proposals to use the 9.3 hectares are due to the National Capital Commission this November.
All four preliminary proposals include commercial and residential developments with green spaces and unique event-based spaces. Proposals include a planby the RendezVous LeBreton group. representing the Ottawa Senators, which would see a large sports facility; Devcore Group whose proposal included cultural facilities; Focus Equities which proposes bringing in an international organization; and Claridge Homes which would add mid-sized indoor and outdoor concert facilities.
A mid-sized concert venue would be a welcome addition to Centretown and Ottawa music businesses, according to Bruised Tongue co-founder Pierre Richardson.
Bruised Tongue is a local record label based in Centretown that works with local musicians to release their work.
“When Capital Music Hall shut down, I feel like there was a definite hole (in Ottawa),” Richardson says. “We have three post-secondary schools in the city, so I feel like there should be enough people to sustain a venue with a capacity of about 1,000 people.”
He says this kind of development could showcase local bands and also attract more artists to Ottawa.
This kind of arts and culture development in LeBreton Flats could bring in more business beyond music venues.
“There’s a lot of money to be made from beer sales and things like that and Ottawa has a very revered craft brewery scene happening,” Richardson says. “There are four or five breweries open here who are big supporters of what we do. It fosters a spirit of the community being involved.”
Other local businesses agree that the LeBreton development could help improve foot traffic in Centretown.
Kevin Martin owns the specialty men’s clothing store Stroked Ego on Bank Street. He says any new development can help improve business in the area, pointing to the Bank Street BIA’s festival Glo Fair, which debuted in the summer of 2014, as one of the highest revenue generators for his store.
“It’s always good to keep people in Centretown,” he says.
But foot traffic in LeBreton Flats might not be useful for all businesses.
Compact Music manager Tyler Clarke says although a mid-sized music venue is “desperately needed” in Ottawa, unless developers make a point of including local businesses, any development of the flats might not be helpful.
Clarke points to Bluesfest, which he says provides a good framework to see how businesses in Centretown could be affected, but says even this isn’t much.
“I don’t see it increasing sales at all,” he says.
Clarke says the best way to help boost local businesses economically would be to involve them in any kind of development. For Compact Music, this usually takes the form of the store selling tickets to events instead of larger companies, such as Ticketmaster.
Richardson takes a more optimistic approach. He says, at the very least, development of LeBreton Flats could help further Ottawa’s reputation.
“Ottawa has a reputation of being a boring city, which I don’t agree with,” he says. “Even if it was, it just means that more and more people have to try and make things happen. And luckily we do have a lot of people who are doing that.”