Sutcliffe: The new Lansdowne is an investment, not an expense – Ottawa Citizen

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Why are we in Ottawa so reluctant to invest in our community? We strive to be a big city, but often our thinking is too small.

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Consistently, federal and municipal governments have been reluctant to spend money maintaining important properties in the capital. The prime minister’s residence was allowed to become unliveable and, seven years after the last occupant moved out, there’s still no plan to repair or replace it. The Supreme Court building was assessed to be in critical condition more than five years ago, but a restoration won’t begin until next year (the U.S. is not the only place where the Supreme Court has leaks). And Lansdowne Park was falling apart until a major upgrade a decade ago.

This is partly a function of leadership, but all of us are to blame. If politicians didn’t worry about a public backlash over significant long-term investments, they wouldn’t be so hesitant to approve them.

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The first Lansdowne redevelopment project is an example of how difficult it is to think long-term and do things properly. For years, the site was a giant parking lot with a crumbling stadium and not much activity, with rising maintenance and repair costs. But even a strong proposal to restore and improve the site was a hard sell at city council and the solution was only partial. Only the worst parts, including the south-side stands, were fixed, with a mere patchwork for the aging north-side seating and the arena underneath it.

The new Lansdowne isn’t perfect, but it’s a huge improvement over what was there before. Yet the proposal had to be justified with some mathematical gymnastics, using future tax revenues to offset the city’s investment. It’s a silly way to approach funding important public infrastructure. No money is free. If you could justify city dollars being spent on anything that would produce additional future tax revenue, then the city should chip in toward the cost of expanding my home, since I’ll pay more taxes over the next few years on a more valuable property.

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The new Lansdowne 2.0 proposal uses the same rationale. But rather than expect a cost-neutral model, we should change our thinking. This project is an investment, not an expense. Lansdowne Park is a community asset, not a liability. It’s owned and used by the people of Ottawa. The true measure of its success isn’t how much tax revenue it produces, but how many people use it over the next few decades, and how it contributes to a better way of life for residents.

It’s especially important right now, when people are more mobile than ever. Many Ottawa businesses are finding it hard to hire new employees, in part because local workers are being recruited by companies all over the continent. In a time when people can work remotely, where you work and where you live can be separate decisions. So it’s critical that we build a city that brings people together, with attractive destinations, major events and strong public infrastructure.

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We hear increasingly about the shortage economy, but we should make sure the biggest shortage isn’t one of imagination. Think about the prospect of a further improved Lansdowne Park, exciting new attractions on LeBreton Flats, expanded public transit, a new downtown public library, and a world-class hospital near Dow’s Lake. Will there be stumbling blocks and occasional cost overruns with some of these major projects? Of course. But that doesn’t mean in the long run they won’t generate significant benefits to the community.

Instead of trying to make the numbers on the Lansdowne 2.0 proposal work based on future tax revenue, let’s embrace the project for what it is: a worthwhile investment in important public infrastructure that will benefit the community for decades, an asset that will make Ottawa a better place to live and will help build the local economy. And let’s not allow short-term thinking to hold us back from building an appealing city with many attractions.

Mark Sutcliffe is a longtime Ottawa entrepreneur, writer, broadcaster, and podcaster. He hosts the Digging Deep podcast, a business coach and adviser, and is a chair with TEC Canada. His column appears every two weeks.