Workers at some small shops at Lansdowne worry the planned redevelopment, which includes replacing the north side stadium stands, renovating the arena and building condos, could hurt their businesses.
The $418.8-million plan features two new condo towers, reconfigured retail areas and major updates to the area’s entertainment district. An entire row of shops is scheduled for closure, although the specific timelines are not yet known.
Some construction was to begin this December, starting with the arena/event space.
“It’s really hard to build a business, get that clientele, start building that customer base, and then for Lansdowne, just because they decided that they wanted to upgrade everything, for them to pull the rug from under us and other local businesses here,” said Jayde Naponse, co-owner of Beandigen Café.
Although Lansdowne 2.0 plans have been in discussion since 2022, and Naponse was aware of the risks businesses might face, she says it is still “pretty frustrating.”
The café began as a six-month pop-up but has since grown into a four-year community space known for hosting events, workshops and cultural activities. Customers say it has become one of the few public places in the city where Indigenous people regularly gather. If forced to close, employees would lose their jobs, the owners would lose their only location and the artists who rely on the boutique would lose an important space in which to sell their work.
Naponse says when her shop will actually close is still unclear. “I’ve heard a lot of different things from a lot of different people,” she said. “It’s hard to envision what the future for our space is going to be like when everything’s so uncertain.”
Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill, who voted in favour of Lansdowne 2.0, says he sees the redevelopment through a different lens. Hill says the project is a public investment that will strengthen a city-owned asset that brings in millions in economic activity each year. He argues the current arena and North Side stands are deteriorating and no longer meet accessibility standards, and delaying repairs could drive the cost higher.
“There has been a lot of misleading information put out on this topic,” Hill said. “Lansdowne 2.0 is not the ‘least worst’ option — it’s a good one. It adds housing density, creates modern facilities and is projected to generate $590 million in local economic activity.”
Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King, one of the 10 councillors to vote against Lansdowne 2.0, said the plan creates “unnecessary disruption” for small businesses and wastes public money by demolishing functioning retail space.
King pointed to the J-Block retail strip, built in 2014, which the proposal would tear down, forcing out businesses. The city would then spend $39 million to rebuild nearly identical space.
These businesses have invested in their locations and built customer bases over the past decade. The proposal would force them to relocate or close, creating significant uncertainty and hardship.
Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King
He also warned about the potential impact nine to 10 years of heavy construction through 2035 will bring to one of the most pedestrian-dependent areas in the city.
“Even businesses that remain would face years of reduced foot traffic and accessibility challenges,” he said. “We’re destroying functional, revenue-generating retail that’s less than 15 years old. This represents poor stewardship of public investment.”
King said he would rather maintain existing, fully functioning retail space and invest in modest improvements and expansion, which the city’s own engineering reports estimate at about $1 million per year — far cheaper than demolishing and rebuilding.
Councillors have not clearly outlined how the redevelopment will impact the small businesses in the area, but “choosing to do nothing comes with significant costs: continued infrastructure decay, lack of accessibility, and rising construction inflation,” Hill says.
Capital Coun. Shawn Menard, in whose ward Lansdowne is located, echoed King in an interview with The Ottawa Lookout saying that prolonged construction and demolition could hurt business in the area.
The shops beside Beandingen face similar uncertainty. Cinnaholic, a plant-based bakery, would have to move under the redevelopment plan. Like the other shops in the row, it relies heavily on steady foot traffic from nearby events and any disruption could significantly affect staff and customers.
Despite the uncertainty, some employees are trying to stay positive. Awe Wade, who works at Cinnaholic, said the redevelopment “could be really beneficial” in the long run, even though she acknowledged disruptions might hurt business. “I don’t want to be pessimistic,” she said.
King says that some polls revealed “residents opposed Lansdowne 2.0 when they understood what it entailed. The impact on small businesses is just one reason why this proposal doesn’t serve Ottawa well.”
“If we want to talk about how Lansdowne 2.0 is supposed to bring in tourism, there’s nothing more Canadian than Indigenous peoples and our representation and our items and our crafts and our arts and our various creations. It’s short-sighted to take away those opportunities,” said Omeasoo Wahpasiw, a customer at Beandigen Café.
Hill says Lansdowne 2.0 will deliver long-term economic benefits, but it remains unclear whether those benefits will extend to the businesses that must relocate to make way for the redevelopment. With no guaranteed spots in the new retail spaces or temporary relocation, affected shop owners wonder what the city will do to help them recover from the loss of their shops.
“There’s a lot of questions and not a lot of answers,” said Naponse.
