67’s Relocating to Scotiabank Place During Lansdowne Construction
Feb. 8, 2012 (Ottawa ON.): The Ottawa 67’s Hockey Club today announced plans for a temporary move to Scotiabank Place (SBP) to help expedite construction schedules at Lansdowne Park. The team will play at SBP in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 OHL seasons, returning to the Civic Centre at Lansdowne for the 2014-15 season, subject to the approval of Ottawa City Council and final approval by Council of the Lansdowne Partnership Plan.
“This was a decision we hoped we would never have to make,” said Jeff Hunt, the 67’s Owner and Governor and a partner in the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), which has partnered with the City of Ottawa to rejuvenate Lansdowne Park. “Delays in the start of construction at Lansdowne have created a situation where construction schedules need to be compressed to meet critical deadlines. As a result, it would be extremely difficult for the 67’s to play in the Civic Centre during the construction phase. Fortunately for us and our fans, we have a world-class alternative to the Civic Centre in Kanata, and I’m grateful to the Ottawa Senators for agreeing to share it with us.”
“The revitalization of Lansdowne will be an important project to the whole city and we’re happy to be able to work with our neighbours in Hockey Country while the renovations take place,” said Ottawa Senators president Cyril Leeder. “The 67s and junior hockey are an important part of our region’s passion for the game and we are pleased that Scotiabank Place can allow for this two-year transition to be as smooth as possible for them.”
The Lansdowne Partnership Plan will transform the site by the Rideau Canal into a year-round people place, with a modern stadium, refurbished arena, urban park, retail/entertainment district and residential areas. It will also feature underground parking for approximately 1,400 cars.
“For fans to gain access to Lansdowne from Bank Street during construction of the parking garage, we’d likely need to create temporary roads and walkways for their safety,” said Hunt. “It would add time and complexity to the construction process, and that’s just on the outside. Renovations inside the arena, including a new roof, could only take place between May and September, which, again, is problematic as we work towards a spring 2014 completion date.” Ottawa’s new Canadian Football League team and its new NASL soccer team are both scheduled to commence play at Lansdowne in 2014. In addition, Ottawa is bidding to host games in the 2014 U20 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015.
The 67’s hope to play the majority of their Scotiabank Place home games on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons, however, it’s expected other days of the week will also be required to accommodate the Ottawa Senators’ schedule and the higher number of concerts that take place in the facility. The 67’s schedule will be finalized over the next three months in conjunction with the Scotiabank Place event schedule.
67’s fans who depend on public transportation to attend games will be able to do so by utilizing OC Transpo’s Connexion 400 service, which provides service to Scotiabank Place from across the city. More information on Connexion 400 service is available on OC Transpo’s website at http://www.octranspo1.com/discover-ottawa/scotiabank_place.
67’s ticket package holders who wish to maintain their Civic Centre sightlines for game action in Scotiabank Place will be accommodated. Ticketing staff from the 67’s are now working with Capital Tickets to identify equivalent views and the specific seats they represent and fans will be contacted about the change in the coming weeks. Pricing for 67’s ticket packages and game-day tickets at Scotiabank Place will not change from current 67’s prices.
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