SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Townhomes at the proposed Niven Heights development at Phase VII of the Niven Lake subdivision will be bigger but still affordable, according to the developer.

Scott Butler, owner of Highstreet Ventures, said it was customer feedback from its other Yellowknife project, the Copper Sky development at the foot of Tin Can Hill, that influenced the design of the town homes in the proposed Niven Heights development.

This proposed 64-unit apartment building is part of Highstreet Ventures’ plans at Niven Lake. - Illustration courtesy of Highstreet Ventures

"With the first project, we did get a lot of feedback from buyers and one of those was having the additional bathroom and a little more room and a little bigger garage," said Butler,

He spoke to about 20 residents at an open house during lunch hour on Wednesday, explaining that the new town home design includes 2.5 bathrooms, space added to the living and dining area and a larger garage. He said there will also be walk-in basements in some of the homes.

When the city was planning how to develop Phase VII of the Niven Lake subdivision in 2007, council suggested smaller, more affordable homes.

Former city councillor Kevin Kennedy recommended the area be reserved for multi-unit dwellings, not "monster homes."

"We don't need to supply any more houses for the presidents of companies," he said at the time.

Highstreet Ventures' proposed development meets council's request.

It will include 121 units Ð three eight-plexes, 11 three-plexes and a 64-unit apartment building. All of the units will be up for sale.

The three-plex units are 1,600- to 2,000-square-foot town homes, which range from three to four bedrooms.

The eight-plex units are 980- to 1,020-square-foot villas, with either two bedrooms and two bathrooms or three bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms.

The development also meets council's affordable housing requirements, which they made a priority while reviewing the request for proposals document written by administration late last year.

In the proposal presented to council by Highstreet Ventures in January, the developer said 12 of the homes would be priced under $200,000, and 50 homes would be priced between $200,000 and $300,000.

City councillors were especially impressed by the low price tags.

"To me, the fact that this whole development seems to be priced at a level which will make them affordably attractive to residents in Yellowknife is a big, strong plus," said Coun. David Wind at the time.

On Wednesday, Butler said concrete prices haven't yet been set for the development, but people can look at the prices at Copper Sky to get an indication of possible price points, keeping in mind that land in Niven Lake is more expensive.

"We did sell villas at Copper Sky for between $250,000 and the low $300s. We sold town homes between $350,000 and the high $300s, but expect things to be higher in Niven," he said.

"We sold the apartment building prices for two-bedroom, one-bath homes for between $299,000 and $309,000. So it gives you an indication."

Highstreet Ventures was chosen by the city in January to develop Lot 22, located off of Moyle Drive in Phase VII of the Niven Lake subdivision.

The preliminary construction schedule will have all three of the eight-plex units and six of the three-plex units built by the spring of 2012.

The five remaining three-plexes and the 64-unit apartment building, which consists of 47 two-bedroom units and 17 one-bedroom units, will be complete by spring of 2013.

Highstreet Venture's first development in Yellowknife, Copper Sky, will have new homeowners moving in in May, a few weeks behind schedule.

Despite the short delay, Mayor Gord Van Tighem said council is pleased with the work the developer is doing in the city.

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