The National Capital Commission’s (NCC) request for proposals to redevelop part of Ottawa’s long-barren LeBreton Flats calls for a “memorable capital landmark” of the “highest quality of architecture and sustainable design.” One bidder had “proposed multiple cultural institutions around a grande allée as its anchor attraction,” the Ottawa Citizen reported recently. But mysteriously enough, sources tell the paper that proposal now revolves around “an NHL-calibre arena” — as does the only other bid submitted, by a consortium that includes the company that owns the Ottawa Senators.

Assuming an arena could meet those terms of reference and the NCC is willing to choose amongst just two options, the table could be set for the Senators to move from the Canadian Tire Centre in suburban Kanata, Ont., to a location on a planned light rail line that’s a mere 25-minute walk from Parliament Hill. And that could be news for hockey fans (assuming they don’t live in Kanata).

But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redevelop prime, long-neglected land in the nation’s capital. It is perplexing that it should come to only two proposals — and the fact the non-Senators bid now suddenly proposes an NHL arena smacks of motives rather different than architectural excellence.

If would be one thing if the Senators’ current building were falling down. But on Jan. 15, the Canadian Tire Centre will celebrate its 20th birthday. If it went to a Senators game at Madison Square Garden, it would be too young to buy a beer. Lots of NHL teams manage to tolerate arenas of that vintage — and even older, if you can believe it. The Senators do not “need” a new arena. They sell plenty of tickets where they are. It is perfectly understandable that they wish not to be in Kanata, a legendary game-night traffic jam away from the city centre, and if private interests want to blow several hundred million dollars remedying their buyer’s remorse, then it’s none of anyone else’s business.

LeBreton Flats is owned by the Canadian taxpayer, though. Any deal that might sign it over to a billionaire for the use of his millionaire hockey players must be closely scrutinized both for below-market favouritism and for the opportunity costs of forsaking a different kind of redevelopment.

Subsidizing Canadians’ leisure activities is a perennial debate. Doctrinaire conservatives would turn up their noses at any, be it a symphony or an art gallery or a hockey team. Others might distinguish among them: the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra is a registered charity, and flautists aren’t known for flamboyant wealth. ESPN estimated the Ottawa RedBlacks 2014 payroll at just $4.1 million. Perhaps the sort of grassroots Canadiana the CFL offers deserves a hand if it needs it.

If there is one policy that ought to unite Canadians across the time zones and the political spectrum, however, it should be not subsidizing megabucks league like the NHL in any way, shape or form. It should be thumbs down to any undeserved perks for the Senators, on the ice just as in the upper chamber. The prudent course for the NCC is probably to consider why its RFP yielded such little interest, seek some more diverse and creative bids — and then choose.

National Post