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During debate on the two main Lansdowne and Kanata stadium proposals yesterday, there were a couple of failed motions that would have led the city in other directions.
Capital Coun. Clive Doucet attempted to reintroduce a motion to solicit designs from around the world that would offer different visions of the park.
Doucet has never agreed with a single source for the revitalization of Lansdowne Park, saying the prized property deserves better attention and the city would have had several options to choose from.
"We would have the best people from across the city, the country and the world working on it," he said.
DECAYING CONCRETE
Doucet said Lansdowne Park sits on the Rideau Canal, which he argues is Ottawa's biggest tourist attraction. He said what is now a sea of decaying concrete and asphalt could become a real festival park.
"It has to be re-imagined as our city's living room for the next century," he said. "It should not be a place to make money. It should be a place to make people happy."
A second failed motion came from Beacon-Cyrville Coun. Michel Bellemare, who was offering up an idea that would have seen the city enter into negotiations with the Senators Sports and Entertainment group to explore a plan to locate a stadium elsewhere in the city.
Bellemare's motion said while the city proceeded with the Lansdowne Live proposal it would negotiate with the Senators group to locate a sports stadium near a major transit station such as LeBreton Flats and Bayview.
