by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 04/98) - One of Yellowknife's largest private-property developers isn't giving up its bid to build the new twin-pad arena, despite coming last in a city hall evaluation.

Bellanca Developments even managed Monday night to stall the city's site-selection process for the complex for another two weeks.

The aldermen charged with making recommendations to city council on the proposed twin-pad arena were looking at a rating sheet that gave the GNWT liquor warehouse site 89 out of a possible 100 points.

The next nearest workable property on the list, a site in the Niven Lake subdivision, was awarded 53 points.

But Bellanca Developments, the proponents of the location that finished last of four, challenged the ratings.

"Whoever did this work did not look at our proposal," said Bellanca president Gordon Wilson.

Wilson said there are a number of errors in the ratings, among them:

• Though both the liquor warehouse property and the Bellanca property are on major roads, the liquor warehouse site was awarded five points for location and Bellanca's just two.

• In terms of area, though the Bellanca property provides more room for both parking and expansion, it was awarded eight points and the liquor warehouse site 10.

• The city's price tag for the Bellanca proposal does not take into consideration a land swap for the liquor warehouse property that would reduce the price by more than $2 million.

"All I'm trying to do is establish a level playing field," said Wilson at the conclusion of his presentation.

Wilson said he could prove Bellanca's proposal could come in at a cost of $8.9 million, far less than the $11.2 million the city said it would cost.

City administration estimated it will cost $9 million to build the facility on the liquor warehouse site.

The possibility of the territorial government approving the city's plan to trade the GNWT-owned liquor warehouse site, which the GNWT has said the city can have for a dollar, for the Bellanca property was news to council.

There are two versions of what was said at a meeting Monday morning of Wilson, one from Bellanca manager Kelly Hayden and the other from MACA assistant deputy minister Vern Christensen.

"I was left with the impression the GNWT ... did not want to see the city sell that land for a profit but would let it trade it for a site it would build on," said Wilson.

But when informed of what Bellanca had told council, Christensen said, "I don't think that would be a very fair characterization of the discussion.

"The only comments they made was they had some ideas, and I recommended they discuss them with the city," said Christensen. "I didn't say anything one way or the other."

The committee was to be making recommendations on the location, content and cost of the project to council. Based on those recommendations, council, at its Tuesday meeting, was to make the decisions that would get construction of the facility under way.

Because of Bellanca's objections and apparent change of heart by the territorial government, the committee decided instead to reconsider the project at its next meeting, set for Feb. 16.