Plans for a new $75-million waterfront convention centre were unveiled before city council on Tuesday evening.
The project is proposed by the Chu Niikwan Development Corp.’s project team for the Kwanlin Dün First Nation.
The project, which requires the use of lots 51 and 39 beside the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre, would include a parkade capable of accommodating around 250 vehicles, as well as 48 hotel rooms.
The corporation estimates the total capital cost of the project to be about $75 million.
“The gathering place is a strategic development by the Yukon Convention Bureau (YCB) in partnership with the Yukon government to cater to the expanding market for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions, and to attract visitors to the territory,” said Sandra MacDougall, the team’s project manager.
She added that the corporation will lead the design, construction and operation of the building, with a full team of specialists working alongside the engineers, architects, and operators.
Once established, the centre would serve as a “prime destination venue” to attract and expand the national and international convention market to the territory, council was told.
MacDougall mentioned that the YCB has modeled the community economic impact of the project to be $20 million per year after the ramp-up period.
The gathering place, which was showcased to the city, is scheduled to connect to the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre.
The vision for the next 10 years includes pedestrian-centric streets, shared street features, the parkade on lot 51, motorway lots supporting other buildings that will include art, culture, and visitor services, and a pedestrian link to the Yukon River.
“The space is designed to accommodate 750 attendees for a formal sit-down plated dinner and 1,000 in theatre-style or concert performance. The space contains several breakout rooms and is versatile enough to support performing arts and art displays,” said MacDougall.
Jacob Heigers, the corporation’s COO, believes that such a project would be a huge benefit to the community.
To make that happen, it needs support from all levels and functions of government, including not only the territorial and municipal levels, but also the federal government and local organizations, council was told.
For the timeline, the schematic design will be complete by this fall, followed by a detailed design once approved. The building should be complete by the moose season of 2027.
Councillor Kirk Cameron raised concerns about how both the First Nation’s council and city council will benefit from the project and how the two governments can move forward together with confidence.
As the team is still formulating plans, Heigers said, there hasn’t yet been a definitive answer.
“We would like to present the meat and potatoes to the two councils in terms of things that are tangible and ensure that we eliminate any side issues or issues that could be overly contentious,” he said.
The Yukon government plans to pursue federal funding to help pay for the new centre.
