SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Demand for units at Yellowknife's latest residential development is sky-high, if early pre-sales are any indication.

Jim Senior, Traine Construction's site supervisor at the Copper Sky development at the base of Tin Can Hill, gives a tour of the property, which is expected to be fully completed in 2012. - Guy Quenneville/NNSL photo

Coldwell Banker has pre-sold nine townhouses and 24 villas worth $15 million at the Copper Sky development, located at the base of Tin Can Hill, said Rod Stirling, co-owner, broker and sales associate at Coldwell Banker, which is handling the sale of units for property owner Highstreet Development.

"It's pretty exciting stuff," said Stirling. "We had over 100 names of people who wanted nine townhouses. We had 80 names of people who wanted 24 villas."

Tenants are expected to move into those units in May.

Representatives from Highstreet - as well as Don Bell, co-founder of WestJet Airlines and an investor in Copper Sky - are in town this week to discuss the next selling phase of the project with Coldwell Banker, as well as possible future developments in the city.

"We have over 60 names now for 48 additional (units)," said Stirling of Copper Sky. "We're not going to do a pre-sale until February, and (by then) we will have well over 100 names for 48 units. Will we sell them? You betcha we will."

He added the entire project is valued at more than $30 million.

According to Jim Senior, site supervisor for Alberta-based contractor Traine Construction, 19 of the 20 construction

workers on site are from Yellowknife.

"The whole project is being built to Energuide 80 specifications," he said.

Development of another real estate project, the undeveloped Bayview Estates townhouses on Niven Drive, has been delayed due to a fracas between owner Nova Builders and the City of Yellowknife over a fence Nova Builders erected on the proposed site of another potential development at the Bartam trailer park.

"We're not planning to do anything (at Bayview Estates) yet because those guys took a pipe belt to me," said Mike Mrdjenovich, owner of Nova Builders, of the city. "I don't want to do too much there until these assholes smarten up."

The uncompleted condominiums - originally developed by Bond Street Properties - have languished on the lot for more than three years.

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