Community meeting needed on proposed Iqaluit highrises: planning committee
Beds per unit, firefighters’ ability to respond among councillors’ concerns over 8-storey buildings
One of the three proposed eight-storey high rises, which TBG Construction Ltd. hopes to build in Iqaluit, is seen in this rendering. (Photo courtesy of TBG Construction Ltd./City of Iqaluit)
This article was updated Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 1:25 p.m.
Iqaluit city councillors want to hear from residents before moving forward to consider a proposed highrise development that would “drastically change” the city’s skyline.
At its meeting on Tuesday, the city’s planning and development committee learned details of the proposal by TBG Construction Ltd. to build three eight-storey towers that would create up to 500 new housing units in total.
After hearing from city planner Michelle Armstrong about the proposal, which would see the buildings constructed on a lot on the west side of Sivumugiaq Street, north of the Inuksugait Plaza, committee members voted unanimously to hold a public meeting before proceeding.
The proposed project would help address Iqaluit’s housing shortage, Deputy Mayor Kim Smith, the committee’s chairperson, said in an interview after the meeting.
But Smith said she wants residents to bring forward any concerns they have about the potential development at the public meeting, whose date has not been set yet.
“It’s going to drastically change the skyline and look and feel of our city, so there’s a lot of factors to building something of this magnitude,” she said.
“Not only do we need to hear from the community, but there has to be numerous studies done as well.”
According to the proposal, two of the buildings would include a mix of commercial and residential units with space available for stores on the first floors. The third building would be entirely residential.
Armstrong noted a number of advantages city staff identified in the proposal, especially regarding the much-needed housing space it would add to the city.
Staff did note some concerns, though, including water servicing, the amount of available parking and the buildings’ potential impact on traffic.
“It’s something that we’ve never really seen of this scale here in Iqaluit, so I think it’s definitely something that we need to give the community as much opportunity for feedback as we can,” said Smith.
Some councillors also questioned how the buildings would get water and sewer services.
Mayor Solomon Awa raised concerns about the number of beds per unit in the current proposal, which sees 58 per cent of the units as one-bedroom apartments. The rest would be two- or three-bedroom apartments.
Armstrong noted the plans as currently proposed by the developer are not final.
Stephen Wallick, the senior architectural designer for the project, told planning committee members the plans shown Tuesday are “conceptual” and can be updated.
“It’s high-level concept at this stage, so it’s open for review and we understand this is part of the process,” Wallick said.
“We’re very open to community consultation with an open meeting.”
Coun. Methusalah Kunuk said he had questions about how the fire department would be able to respond to an emergency in the proposed buildings.
Iqaluit chief administrative officer Steve England answered, saying staff is in talks with the fire department about that concern.
Note: This article was updated to include the correct title of Stephen Wallick
I noticed the article didn’t mention a key point raised by Michelle about the necessity of an agreement with QC due to the shared infrastructure for the hotel’s water and sewer line which this development would need to access. It raises questions about the alignment between their public positions and their day jobs.
It also struck me as odd that Councillor Flaherty, Councillor Stevenson, and Mayor Awa didn’t declare a conflict of interest on this matter due to their direct relationships with QIA and QC.
On another note, considering all the councilors strong pro-housing drumming during the election campaign, it appears that when faced with actual development proposals that could increase housing, their actions seem to slow the process down.
Why should Inuit subsidize this project? Remember now, Inuit through QC have proposed half Billion dollar expansion across from this proposed project.
“[T]here has to be numerous studies done as well.”
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Well of course! We don’t know what those studies are yet, but we’ll think some up. Numerous ones!
I hope council has done a comprehensive disclosure of conflicts of interest on this one.
How is the view of Iqaluit’s skyline from a frozen tent on the beach?
Iron this out and get building.
I fully expect QC and QIA to get their monies worth from this structure if they use QC infrastructure.
Why is there already expectation to support this project? It will directly compete against QC’s goal of housing expansion in that area.
Standard proceedure in most communities in most countries is for real estate developers to get seats on city council, so the can ensure that their projects are approved and competing ones are not, unless a trade-off is needed.
Does Iqaluit fit this pattern?
Little or no development approval for several years as demand for housing keeps getting greater. Then a massive development appears, seemingly from nowhere. Who can refuse?
Which side are you on?
To be clear, developers shouldn’t have to have a seat on council in order to push their projects through.
Ideally councils do their best to avoid real and perceived conflicts of interest.
Many places have corruption. That does not make it a good thing.
We need housing. It needs to be affordable.
TBG? Some random new southern company with its 1 token Inuk on payroll?
“New”? TBG Construction?
Give it a rest …
TBG Construction is a 20 year old company that has only ever been based in Iqaluit.
500 apartments is more housing than exists in most communities in Nunavut. Only Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and perhaps Arviat have more than 500 houses.
We may as well call this Molloyville, after the guy who owns the company, and deem it to be Nunavut’s 26th community. (27th, if you count Apex.)
Presumably the three builings will be erected/assembled one at a time over several years. TBG has decades of construction experience in Nunavut, but has not built anything on this scale. Where will the workers come from, or will this be pre-fabricated modules, like the Aqsarniit Hotel, with relatively little Inuit labour?
Who are the intended residents? Will Molloy rent directly to those now living in the shelters? Does he plan to rent to the GN with long term leases as Staff Housing for transient workers from the south? NHC might lease some of the 3 bedroom apartments for use as Public Housing. The GN’s inability to sell two-bedroom condos to its employees at discount prices should be a warning that Iqalimiut cannot see raising a family in two-bedroom units with little to no storage.
What about parking? If these are intended as up-scale units, there could be 1,000 cars, or even more parked in Molloyville each evening. What about parking for boats and snowmobiles and ATVs? Where will the daycare be in Molloyville? Where will the carvers work?
Can QEC provide enough electricity for 500 more apartments? When will there be enough water, sewage, and garbage collection capacity? Who will pay for the traffic lights that will be needed along the road to the airport? What about playgounds for the kids who will live in Molloyville? Will Molloyville have its own grade school, its own high school?
Will Molloyville have its own post office and its own grocery store? Will metropolitan Iqaluit finally get a Co-op?
So many questions. Why so little information?
Will there be superintendents living on site like down south, or will tenants be left to essentially fend for themselves?
This is going to and up being a giant ghetto.
Could you be any more bitter?
Metropolitan Iqaluit?!? 🤣 had me spitting out my coffee 🤣🤣🤣.
Calm down! They are trying to build an apartment building, not a town.
This is an exciting announcement. More housing is badly needed.
While I agree with public hearings and feedback, I am hopeful that this will not significantly delay any projects.
I am not sure that this will impact the skyline of Iqaluit that much. Not sure where this comment is coming from? The proposed location is in a flat lower area of Iqaluit, and assuming garbage and debris is managed will help to improve the industrial area of town.
I am hopeful that this project receives approval and can move forward.
As long as there is a demand for housing, we must encourage developers to build. Not long ago, another developer decided to stop pursuing new development in Iqaluit and build more in Yellowknife and Inuvik. If you think you are paying too much for rent or mortgage, think again as this will get worse if the community pushes another developer out.
I think this is the lot that BBS is currently sitting on, plus two other adjacent ones. This should have been explained in the article.
We desperately need housing, and space for commercial opportunities is welcome too. Bring it on.
QIA/QC may have a plan to build housing on the QIA lands across the street, that shouldn’t factor in to this decision and I expect the councillors who are in conflict to recuse themselves. Fish or cut bait, folks.
The City shouldn’t be enabling housing supply management schemes, no matter who is behind them.