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The acrimony between Melnyk and Ruddy has allegedly been going on for more than two years. The relationship “soured” right after the NCC named RendezVous the highest ranked candidate to take on the development in April 2016, the lawsuit says.

It was the NCC, according to the lawsuit, that approached Melnyk’s company about its interest in redeveloping LeBreton Flats, leading to Melnyk partnering with Ruddy and submitting a proposal in an NCC-led competition.

Melnyk, whose businesses run the Canadian Tire Centre and have built Sensplexes, needed a partner with residential and commercial development experience for the LeBreton bid.

Eventually, Melnyk learned about Ruddy’s development plans for 900 Albert, a triangular piece of land beside the City Centre complex, once eyed by DCR/Phoenix for a chunky office complex, but then sold to Trinity, which plotted a major transit-orientated development and attracted other investors. Melnyk, who was interested in rolling in the 900 Albert project with the LeBreton project, wanted to know why Ruddy didn’t include him in the 900 Albert investment, the lawsuit says.

Last January, Melnyk’s company said it was reconsidering its involvement in the LeBreton project, solely because of the impact of 900 Albert, the lawsuit says. The NCC “turned a blind eye” and pressured Melnyk’s company to sign the term sheet, the lawsuit says.

According to the lawsuit, the NCC announced an agreement in principle with RendezVous on the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats, despite Melnyk voicing concerns over the economic viability of the project in light of 900 Albert.

Bird and his GBA Development and Project Management company were RendezVous’s project manager. According to the suit, Melnyk fired Bird from the project, but Trinity then retained Bird as its own representatives for the development. The lawsuit alleges Bird also helped Trinity on the 900 Albert project.

The lawsuit says Trinity submitted the municipal land-use applications on behalf of RendezVous without notifying Melnyk’s company. According to the lawsuit, the development plan proposed to build the arena near 900 Albert on the western part of LeBreton Flats, instead of near the Pimisi LRT station on the eastern part.

From a legal standpoint, the lawsuit accuses Trinity of breaking a fiduciary duty allegedly owed to Melnyk’s company and not working in good faith.

“Instead, Trinity betrayed the trust of its joint venture partner by continuing to conceal, overtly and by omission, the worsening conflict when it knew or ought to have known that its conduct … would threaten and ultimately destroy the very joint venture it had agreed to advance and promote,” the lawsuit says.

The NCC said it’s not commenting on the lawsuit.