CFL.ca Staff

OTTAWA -- Ottawa took a major step towards returning the Canadian Football League to the Nation’s Capital on Tuesday.

Ottawa city council voted 15-9 in favour of a redevelopment plan for Landsdowne Park which includes a refurbished Frank Clair Stadium that would be home to a future CFL franchise.

“This is a major step forward for all of us who look forward to the return of the Canadian Football League to the nation’s capital,” said CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon.

“We are very excited that the prospect of CFL football in Ottawa, in a beautiful stadium in an iconic location, is much closer today. And we look forward, not only to the team’s inaugural season, but to returning the Grey Cup, and its enormous economic benefits, to the city of Ottawa and surrounding region.”

“I’ve never been more proud of the city than I am tonight,” said Ottawa mayor Larry O’Brien after the meeting.

Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) got city council go-ahead in November to come up with the plans for the Lansdowne site.

Besides the renovations to Frank Clair Stadium, the plan includes 350,000 square feet of commercial retail space at the site. It also includes 250 housing units, as well as the development of an urban park on Lansdowne's front lawn.

“We realize this process has come to represent more than great football; this is very much about community building and the enlightened use of urban space,” said Cohon.

The open-air stadium itself is expected have seating for approximately 24,000 with the capability to expand to 45,000 for major events such as the Grey Cup.