Capital Sports Development Inc., a development group led by the Ottawa Senators, and the National Capital Commission have announced they’ve signed an agreement of purchase and sale for 11-acre land parcels at LeBreton Flats. The site would be used to build a multipurpose entertainment venue closer to the city’s downtown, compared to the Canadian Tire Centre, which is 30 minutes west of the city’s core. The new arena would serve as the new home of the Senators. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to reach an agreement of purchase and sale with the NCC to take the next step in this process,” Senators team president Cyril Leeder said in a news release Monday afternoon. “There are still many more hurdles to clear, and we look forward to working with the NCC and other stakeholders to achieve our shared vision of creating an event centre at LeBreton Flats that can be enjoyed by our Ottawa-Gatineau community.”

“The promise of a major events centre will provide a lively and convenient attraction for residents and visitors, inject new energy and excitement into the core of the Nation’s Capital and further catalyze the development of LeBreton Flats,” NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum said in the news release. “This agreement builds on the two previous real estate transactions completed by the NCC since 2022 on the Building LeBreton project that will see over 2000 new housing units, along with new retail and commercial spaces, built on the site.”

Last September, the Senators and the NCC reached an agreement in principle before their memorandum of understanding expired. It was seen as the “first step” for a new arena to be built. Leeder said the goal was for the Senators to obtain the plot of land sometime in 2025. In recent weeks, both Leeder and Senators owner Michael Andlauer expressed optimism to The Athletic that an arena deal could be consummated by this fall and that it would be sold at “fair market value.”

Leeder also cautioned that once a deal was completed, it wouldn’t mean shovels would enter the ground immediately. The next steps for both the Senators and NCC involve zoning plans, completing studies on transport and mobility, determining design and approvals and decontamination of the land in preparation for construction.

The new event centre would replace the Kanata-based Canadian Tire Centre, set to celebrate its 30th anniversary in January. The Senators expect to be at the Canadian Tire Centre for another five years and have already made some adjustments, such as upgraded seats in the arena’s lower bowl.

(Top photo: Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photography / Getty Images)