Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk's Rendezvous LeBreton group has been awarded the right to negotiate with the city's National Capital Commission for a downtown development that includes a new arena for the NHL franchise.

Melnyk's group, along with Devcore Candarel DLS group, unveiled multi-billion dollar proposals back in January for the redevelopment of Ottawa's LeBreton flats, with both of them including plans for NHL-sized buildings.

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Both proposals also featured plans for a new Public Library, green space and new residential properties. 

The Senators have played at Canadian Tire Centre - in the west-end community of Kanata - since it opened as the Corel Centre back in 1996.

Prior to that, the team played at the Civic Centre - shared with the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's - from 1993 to 1995.