Residents protest Lansdowne Park development 'backroom deal'

Hundreds of residents from across the city gathered at Ottawa's Lansdowne Park on Sunday to protest the city's closed-door negotiations with a single group of developers.

The residents called for the city to reopen the design competition that was closed when the city decided to proceed with the unsolicited site development proposal submitted by the Lansdowne Live group.

The residents said they want the city to put out a call for tender and relaunch the design competition so they can be sure councillors are working with the best proposal for the park.

Ute Thomas, who collected signatures on a petition during Sunday's rally at the Aberdeen Pavilion on the Lansdowne grounds, said she hopes the city realizes that residents still have concerns about the deal.

"I am amazed at what I hear from people the anger that is out there about this backroom deal," she said.

"People are so upset that again big developers have made a deal behind closed doors. They also do not like the idea that public land will go private. They also do not like to think that their farmers market is in jeopardy."

Thomas, who has lived in Ottawa for 35 years, said many residents simply want a choice.

"I don't think people are so much fixed on what they would like to see, but they would like to see ideas brought forward," she said.

Adrian Evans, who helped construct signs for the protest, said he thinks the process should be more transparent even if the Lansdowne Live proposal does turn out to be the best one for the park.

"We want to make sure that there is a public process for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park and we want to make sure that the public is engaged," he said.

Some residents, however, said they're afraid restarting the process would only delay the development of the park.

Resident Kent Builton said he thinks doing more studies on Lansdowne Park would stop the momentum for change the city has worked so hard to build.

"You need some directing minds, and I think the Lansdowne Live group did at least focus [the redevelopment] and it's on the table," he said, calling it a step toward making the project happen.