Ottawa residents 'neutral' on Lansdowne Live
Last Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2009 | 6:39 PM ET
CBC News
A Nanos Research report on the Landsdowne Park development proposal suggests 49.6 per cent of Ottawa residents have a neutral impression of the plans. Half of Ottawa residents are on the fence about the Lansdowne Live proposal, according to a Nanos Research report released by the city Thursday.
Nanos said research indicates 49.6 per cent of residents have a neutral impression of the proposal, while 9.1 per cent are unsure.
Of those who have an opinion, 22.5 per cent have a negative impression, while 18.7 per cent have a positive one, the market research company found.
Residents asked to rate their comfort level with specific aspects of the proposal gave green space, the farmer's market and underground parking the highest scores.
Commercial elements less popular
Nik Nanos, president of Nanos Research, said other parts of the Lansdowne Live plan didn't score as well.
"The more commercial elements of the proposal, such as having retail space and a hotel, were not as well received by Ottawa residents.
Office space, a first-run theatre and a hotel scored among the lowest items."
The Lansdowne Live plan would see Lansdowne Park's Frank Clair football stadium renovated, greenspace expanded, and condo towers, townhouses, a movie theatre, shops and restaurants built through a public-private partnership between the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Sport and Entertainment Group.
Ottawa 67's owner pleased
Members of the Ottawa Sport and Entertainment Group, including Ottawa 67's owner Jeff Hunt, were at city hall when the Nanos results were unveiled. Hunt said he's "extremely pleased" with the findings.
"I think people are very much in favour of the type of partnership contemplated with Lansdowne Live.
I think too there's an overwhelming message of people wanting something done now. They want action, they want this issue to be resolved."
But several councillors, including Diane Deans, came away with a different impression of what the public wants for Lansdowne Park.
"I think they would like to see us revitalize Lansdowne Park, but what I take from this survey is they would like us to keep it in public ownership and public uses, not private uses."
The Nanos report also found that the closer a resident lived to Lansdowne Park, the more likely they were to have a negative impression of the Lansdowne Live proposal. Also, the more well-versed people believed they were about the plan, the more likely they were to have a good impression of it.
1,000 residents surveyed
Nanos produced the report as part of the city's public consultations on the Lansdowne Live redevelopment plan, carried out in late September and early October.
The research firm consulted more than 1,000 residents through a phone survey, conducted focus groups and also gathered comments submitted at open houses, through the city's 3-1-1 service and an online consultation site.
