Representatives from Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd. and Public Works and Government Services Canada met with the public Tuesday to discuss what the community would like to see in the new federal building.

They quickly discovered community members want the building to face Franklin Avenue and not 52 Street as preliminary designs indicate.

About 20 people showed up for the creative design workshop, which was aimed at gathering community feedback about the proposed project.

Preliminary sketches presented to the public show a triangular-shaped building with an indoor atrium facing 52 Street. Several community members cited their main concern about the proposed building was that it would not face the main street in the city.

Other concerns focused around whether the building would be accessible to the public after hours and how to give the building a true Northern feel.

Suggestions for building materials for the structure focused around rock, mainly granite and sandstone, while most people felt colours for the building should be soft blues, greens and pinks, representing the Northern Lights.

Margaret Henderson of Public Works and Government Services Canada said the plan is for the building four storeys tall and house 200 people -- about 40 per cent of federal government employees in Yellowknife.

The 5,000 square-metre building will cost about $18 million, which includes other costs such as the purchase of the land, the demolition of the old Canadian Tire building, and the construction of the building.

Henderson said it's an ideal time to construct a new federal building.

"Up until lately, we haven't had problems finding space," she said. "It's getting harder and harder to find space because the vacancy rate is so low."

While it hasn't been decided which departments will be going into the building, Henderson said, departments that serve the public will be the first priority with "front-line" departments occupying the first floor.

It has not yet been decided whether or not any space in the building will be available for lease to non-government businesses.