From
Ontario Construction News:
NCC reports progress on LeBreton Flats arena, but Senators exec warns of engineering hurdles before ‘shovels in the ground’
By
Robin MacLennan, Editor, Ontario Construction News
February 2, 2026
https://ontarioconstructionnews.com...ineering-hurdles-before-shovels-in-the-ground
The National Capital Commission (NCC) says plans for a new Ottawa Senators arena at LeBreton Flats are moving forward without delay, though team officials caution that significant infrastructure and engineering work remains before construction can begin.
Speaking after an NCC board of directors meeting on Jan. 22, NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum provided an optimistic update on the major events centre, which is set to anchor the redevelopment of the historic site west of Parliament Hill.
“After the agreement of purchase and sale was signed last summer, talks have continued to help the (Ottawa) Senators get to a place where they can move towards shovels in the ground,” Nussbaum told reporters, according to the
Ottawa Business Journal. “There aren’t any obstacles that are stopping us or delaying us from moving forward at the pace that we anticipate.”
The NCC and Capital Sports Development Inc. (CSDI), the Senators’ development arm, finalized a land purchase agreement in August 2025. Since then, the focus has shifted to the complex design and engineering required for the site.
Nussbaum emphasized the commission’s high expectations for the facility’s architectural significance.
“We want to see something beautiful. We want to see something that demonstrates the major events centre as a real landmark for the nation’s capital,” Nussbaum said. “The process is going very, very well.”
However, the path to groundbreaking involves navigating a web of technical challenges that could extend the timeline. In a recent interview with
Postmedia, Senators president and CEO Cyril Leeder offered a tempered view of the schedule, suggesting that actual construction could still be years away due to the site’s complexity.
“If we were ready to break ground, we’d be four years,” Leeder said, estimating a 34-month construction period preceded by extensive site preparation.
Leeder highlighted several specific engineering hurdles that must be resolved before the arena can rise, including the remediation of contaminated soil, the relocation of a major sewer pipe, and the integration of a district energy system.
The site’s proximity to the O-Train LRT line also presents a unique construction challenge.
“Then you’re butting up against the LRT line. We’ve got to do some shoring up on that LRT line and on Albert St.,” Leeder told the
Sun, noting that the arena itself would likely sit on a “floating slab” above parking facilities.
Leeder indicated that the team is “at least a year” away from scheduling this preparatory work, as they continue to determine the precise location of site services.
While the timeline remains fluid, both parties acknowledge the significance of the project. For the construction industry, the project promises to be one of the most complex and high-profile undertakings in the city’s history, requiring specialized expertise in environmental remediation and urban infrastructure integration.
