Iqaluit’s Plateau II moves ahead

JOHN THOMPSON

The City of Iqaluit will develop the second phase of the Plateau subdivision this year, after putting the project on ice last year because of lack of interest from developers of multi-unit buildings.

That means residents should see another 45 to 50 lots developed over the next year, at a cost of about $4.6 million.

City council voted unanimously in favour of moving ahead with the subdivision at a council meeting Feb. 13.

The Plateau’s second phase contains 16 multi-unit lots, a large slice of the subdivison. Last year, the city received only three proposals for them.

That meant that, despite seeing all 29 single-family dwellings snapped up within 15 minutes during a raffle last April, the city only had $2.1 million in lot lease revenues to pay for the new subdivision, rather than the $4.6 million that they anticipated.

With only 45 per cent of development costs sure to be covered, city council decided to put the project on hold until they received more multi-unit proposals.

Now, the city has secured 78 per cent of the money they need to pay for the project, lands planner Michele Bertol told council.

Following council’s approval of the project, the next step will be for the city to issue tenders to build roads and install utility lines.

The development money comes from the city’s development fund, a pot of money that’s separate from the rest of the city’s finances. The fund is refilled when residents buy property or pay down their leases.

The Plateau has been billed as a “sustainable subdivision.” All homes are required to be fitted with low-flow toilets and faucets, as well as energy-efficient appliances, insulation and windows. That’s the first time the city has introduced these new building standards.

And some some Plateau lots are designated as “R2000,” an even more tough, and costly, environmental standard.

As well, Plateau houses are zoned with a southern orientation to best take advantage of solar energy, while the roads are aligned northwest, in line with prevailing winds, to prevent snowdrifts from piling up on the streets.

Besides buildings, the Plateau plan also includes space reserved for green space, including several berry picking areas.

Another part of the “sustainable” tag means avoiding urban sprawl.

The multi-unit lots are key to that, which is why the city couldn’t simply replace them with more single-family homes without abandoning the subdivision’s overall design.