GARRIOCH: It would make sense for Eugene Melnyk to bid on LeBreton again

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Sometimes silence can speak volumes.

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As the National Capital Commission’s deadline passed Monday at noon for requests for expressions of interest (REI) in a major attraction at LeBreton Flats, the Ottawa Senators wouldn’t confirm or deny owner Eugene Melnyk had re-entered the process to build a rink just 10 minutes from downtown.

Nobody will dare to confirm it, but it wouldn’t be a shocker if the Senators did dip their toe in the pool again for a rink at LeBreton Flats because if you don’t put your foot in the door for a downtown arena now, then it will be shut completely.

Keeping this option on the table makes sense for Melnyk.

“No comment,” is how Anthony LeBlanc, Senators president of business operations, responded to Postmedia on Monday afternoon.

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The NCC indicated it may not release the names of the bidders until its board meeting in April but Ottawa is a small town and it’s likely they will all be public by then.

“As the (REI) process is confidential, we will not be providing information on any proponents during the evaluation and negotiation period,” NCC spokesperson Mario Tremblay stated in an email on Monday.

“At any point, the NCC reserves the right to announce a successful proponent or proponents for one or both of the major attraction sites, or launch a subsequent procurement process such as requests for proposals.”

Fair enough. With lots of competition involved for the valuable piece of land and given the fact the NCC wants secrecy, silence is probably the best route for any group involved in this process to take.

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“Proponents are not permitted to make any public announcements, comments or media releases, including creating content on social media, pertaining to the details of their submissions as part of the REI process,” NCC said in the fine print of its “Building LeBreton” document. “Contravention of this provision is grounds for disqualification, at the sole discretion of the NCC.”

Maybe the NCC is being quiet because it didn’t like that its deal with the RendezVous LeBreton group went completely off the rails and so publicly, for all to see.

While many doubt the Senators would go down this road again after it went sour and ended up in lawsuits with partner John Ruddy of Trinity Developments the last time, this latest negotiation is a phased approach to building on the site.

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In this round, the NCC is looking for ideas on a piece of land that’s about 6.3 acres.

That’s big enough to hold a shiny new rink with maybe some restaurants nearby where you can have a post-game pint before catching the LRT back home, as long as it’s operating properly, of course.

The Canadian Tire Center opened its doors in January, 1996 and, while upgrades have been made, its showing its age.

Sure, you could think Senators might be once-bitten and twice shy. But the description of possible options for the land that NCC chief executive officer Tobi Nussbaum included in the letter he wrote, and which was attached to the REI, may as well have been a personal invite to Melnyk to make a bid.

“What does a major attraction look like? Some people think sports arena, some think concert hall, some think exposition space, and some have other ideas,” Nussbaum said.

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“We are leaving the canvas blank so creative minds can suggest innovative and financially sound concepts that could capture our interest.”

The canvas may be blank, but it sounds to me like they’d gladly paint the lines on the rink for Melnyk if he decided he wanted to bring his Senators downtown. Not only that, it would be a major concert venue that would attract more big acts to the nation’s capital.

We’ve said this before, it makes sense for the NCC to have the Senators as the centerpiece at LeBreton. It turns it into a destination and if you want a good example of how a rink revitalized the downtown, all you have to do is look at the ICE District in Edmonton that houses Rogers Place Arena.

The last time a major event center was part of the LeBreton discussion was when the Senators and Trinity Developments won preferred status to build a new arena and mixed-use development on the site. The falling out between the two companies sent the NCC back to the drawing board – and that was more than two years ago.

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Melnyk and Ruddy couldn’t come to a final agreement on the deal at LeBreton and the partnership fell apart. Melnyk’s Capital Sports Management Inc. sued Ruddy for $700 million and then Trinity counter-sued for $1 billion. That case is scheduled to go to court in late 2022.

We’ve heard suggestions of maybe putting a Ferris wheel, aquarium, museum or gallery on the site. Let’s be serious, you’re not going to be breaking the bank with visitors for those attractions.

The idea of ​​a downtown rink looked all but dead, that is, until Melnyk wedged the door open again in December when he sent this statement to Postmedia after the NCC confirmed it was starting the process again.

“We’re always open and interested in a new multi-purpose entertainment facility at LeBreton Flats,” Melnyk said “And understand how it can benefit our fans and the Ottawa Senators hockey club generally.”

We understand Melnyk and the Senators can’t say anything but we’re willing to bet the club is back in the race again. Only time will tell.

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Twitter: @sungarrioch