City ordered to open books on Lansdowne deal

A group fighting the deal to redevelop Lansdowne Park said it has cleared a number of legal hurdles in advance of its court challenge.

Friends of Lansdowne said the courts ruled Monday the city must disclose financial details of the partnership plan with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group.  Both the city and developers were refusing to produce these documents.

The city voted in June to form a public-private partnership with OSEG, which will oversee renovations of Frank Clair Stadium, and build a mix of condominium and retail space in the rest of the park.

Steven Shrybman, the lawyer representing Friends of Lansdowne, has said the city acted illegally when it approved a sole-sourced contract worth $300 million with OSEG.

The group also will be able to submit as evidence two studies it commissioned that were critical of the Lansdowne financial model.

Tax expert Harry Kitchen and investigative accountants Rosen and Associates both produced damning reports for Friends of Lansdowne that questioned the city's business model.

The court also confirmed the group's legal standing to proceed with its lawsuit.

Shrybman said the victories will likely delay a scheduled court date in April, but said he still expected a court decision ahead of a hearing of the Ontario Municipal Board slated for May. That hearing will look into zoning approvals needed before work on the project can begin.

"We're very pleased with the master's decision, it requires the city and the developer to produce some documents that are absolutely critical to understand the Lansdowne redevelopment plan," said Shrybman.