Ottawa Looks To Build More Than An Arena At LeBreton Flats
The federal government wants developers to build a new neighbourhood beside the Ottawa Senators’ planned arena, the latest effort to revive LeBreton Flats and create a destination that draws people for more than hockey games and concerts.
A new National Capital Commission process seeks expressions of interest for the Aqueduct District, part of the 29-hectare redevelopment site just west of downtown Ottawa.
The NCC plans to offer long-term ground leases to developers interested in building housing, hotels, offices, restaurants and entertainment venues beside the planned 16,000-seat arena.
“The vision for the Aqueduct District extends well beyond event days,” NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum wrote in the solicitation, envisioning a place where people can “gather, explore, experience culture and enjoy the energy of Canada’s capital.”
Generating new energy has proved challenging. Ottawa wants a downtown less dependent on federal office workers, whose shift to hybrid work has weighed on businesses in the core. Downtown office availability stood at 15.2% in the third quarter, according to Avison Young, despite improving 152 basis points from the previous quarter.
The city’s separate downtown revitalization strategy calls for 40,000 additional residents and 50,000 jobs by 2034. The wider LeBreton Flats development, which could eventually house 11,000 residents, would contribute to that transformation.
The arena remains a separate project. The Senators reached an agreement to purchase 11 acres in August 2025, but financing, approvals and construction timelines remain unresolved.
The NCC expects to launch another procurement stage in 2027. Developers have until Dec. 16 to submit expressions of interest.
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