City of Iqaluit passes on offer to buy racquet club

The City of Iqaluit is not going to purchase the Frobisher Racquet Club, a building officials once thought could be the home for a youth wellness centre.

Councillors passed a motion in January last year directing administration to enter discussions with the building’s owners. At the time, former mayor Kenny Bell said the racquet club had approached the city with the opportunity to buy the building, which is connected to the city-owned curling rink.

In a public service announcement Thursday, city spokesperson Kent Driscoll said that following those discussions it’s not the “city’s intention” to purchase the building.

“The work to develop a plan and obtain funding was in the very early stages, and has not progressed substantially,” the release states.

The city’s update was issued at the request of the Frobisher Racquet Club, Driscoll wrote in the statement.

Frobisher Racquet Club manager and co-owner Robert Byrne could not be reached for comment.

The city’s acting chief administrative officer, Rod Mugford, reiterated to Nunatsiaq News that discussions remained in early stages and staff were trying to find different areas of funding.

Asked what this means for the future of a youth wellness centre in Iqaluit, Mugford said the city has a consultant working on a needs assessment for the youth crisis intervention and homelessness prevention program, which a potential centre would fall under.

“This will allow the city to make informed decisions as they relate to this project, providing a concrete understanding of program intentions, goals, and requirements moving forward,” Mugford wrote in an email.