Business group decries obstacles to development

DENISE RIDEOUT

Members of Iqaluit’s business community say developers wanting to construct apartment and retail buildings are facing too much opposition from city council.

On June 25, city council rejected a request from construction company Ninety North to put up a residential-commercial building in downtown Iqaluit, saying the large, box-shaped building wouldn’t add anything to the look of the neighbourhood.

The building, which would have housed 48 apartment units and 16,000 square feet of retail space, was slated to go on the lot across from the Legislative Assembly building, where the Yamaha shop, a trailer, a two-storey home and the former Snack restaurant now sit.

The Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce, which represents the city’s business owners, says council’s decision sends a signal that developers must jump through hoops before they can build badly needed housing units and retail space.

“There’s definitely some obstacles to easy development. That’s not to say there aren’t obstacles in other communities, but it’s exacerbated here,” said Steve Cook, president of the Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce.

While Ninety North’s building permit met all the bylaws, including height and parking requirements, council’s planning committee took issue with the size, shape and look of the proposed building. Under its zoning bylaw, council can regulate the design and appearance of a building to make sure it doesn’t detract from the character of the neighbourhood.

At its June 25 meeting, council took the planning committee’s advice and turned down the development permit.

But Cook, general manager for developer Nunastar Properties, said council’s decision was uncalled for.

“When you’re in an environment where you meet all the requirements and someone makes a subjective decision, it’s difficult to work in that situation,” he said.

The chamber thinks council’s decision is bad for business, Cook said.

Construction of the three-storey building would have benefited several local businesses, including the developer, the construction company and building suppliers.

And, Cook said, the proposed 16,000-square feet of office and retail space would have been a welcome addition to Iqaluit. “There are no places for small retail right now,” Cook said.

He said several small boutiques and retail outlets could have taken up shop there, bringing more shopping venues to the downtown core. “It could have been attractive there.”

In addition, the community needs the 48 apartment units that were slated for the building. Cook said it’s frustrating that an apartment building proposal would be rejected in a city where housing is in astronomical demand.

“From the Chamber of Commerce’s perspective, it’s disappointing when badly needed housing doesn’t go up because of what seems to be subjective views of the council,” he said.

For Kenn Harper of Northern Property Real Estate Investment Trust (formerly known as Urbco), the developer behind the proposal, council’s rejection is a clear sign that Iqaluit is closed for business. He said there’s an anti-development feel to the capital city.

Harper will now take his million-dollar project elsewhere, possibly to another Nunavut community or to the Northwest Territories.

“Money is portable,” he said. “We will look for a new home for that money in a community that welcomes investment.”

The situation has Cook shaking his head. “It’s not the way to move ahead,” he said.

And, he said, he suspects building developers will think twice about sinking hundreds of thousands of dollars into proposals that council might similarly quash.

“Many developers are probably rethinking what their future commitment to Iqaluit will be,” Cook said.

Now, the chamber wants to tackle the development issue. Cook said it would like to put together a committee of developers, business owners, city councillors and territorial government officials to talk about urban planning.

“When there are obstacles to doing business, as there appears to be here, we have to approach council about this,” Cook said.

Despite the harsh words developers have for city council, one local architect is applauding the decision.

Robert Billard, who has been doing architectural work in Iqaluit for three years, said it’s about time council start making the community a much nicer-looking place.

“They are our elected officials and they have a responsibility to not just let anything be built anywhere,” Billard said. “We don’t just put them up to fill a hole.”

He said too many bland, box-shaped buildings have gone up in the city, houses are too compact and few buildings make good use of the landscape.

“A thought has to go into how buildings work in the community and how they look and how they are used,” Billard said.