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$2 million over 25 years to save headframe
Council delays debate on iconic structure after administration proposes demolition without input from public

Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Published Friday, May 23, 2014

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It would cost the city approximately $2 million over 25 years to keep the Robertson Headframe from being demolished but residents will have to wait at least a few more weeks before they know whether city council plans to cough up the cash to save the iconic landmark.

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Council will debate the fate of the Robertson Headframe in two weeks after several councillors said that interest groups needed more time to review the findings of a recent report. According to the report, it will cost the city $2.05 million over 25 years to take over ownership of the headframe from Newmont Mining Inc. - NNSL file photo

Council was originally expected to vote on the headframe's fate last fall, but a group of more than 20 concerned residents descended upon city hall and demanded that the city explore options to preserve it.

The city had previously commissioned a study detailing the cost of turning the headframe into a greenhouse ($20 million), an indoor viewing platform ($20 million) and a restaurant ($5 million). However, council directed administration to have an engineering firm calculate what it would cost for the city to take over ownership of the iconic structure from Newmont Mining Inc. and leave it as a monument.

According to the recent report, made public May 16, the city would have to invest approximately $450,000 to replace aging infrastructure on the headframe over the next 10 years.

Some $250,000 of that would have to be paid up front in the first year of ownership in order to replace various parts of the structure, including its roof, which will cost $150,000 to fix.

The city would also have to commit to putting up an additional $1.6 million - which could be amortized over a 25-year period at a cost of $90,000 to the city - to cover the future cost of demolishing the building in the event that it had to be torn down.

Based on those costs, administration recommended that the city inform Newmont that it could proceed with demolition, with council slated to discuss the issue during a committee meeting on Monday.

However, as the report was only released last Friday, city councillors Linda Bussey and Niels Konge argued there hadn't been enough time for groups such as the NWT Mining Heritage Society to review and offer input on it.

"I think they have the right to see this before they form their opinions and have discussions with their groups," said Konge.

Walt Humphries, president of the mining heritage society, who offered to cut a $1,000 cheque of his own money toward saving the headframe during last fall's meeting, was in attendance on Monday.

He said he was not surprised administration was trying to push through demolition of the headframe without consulting the public.

"It's typical of this whole thing," he said. "I think administration wants the thing gone, but the public wants to save it."

Humphries hadn't had the chance to look at the report but based on the numbers presented at council, he said the costs seemed much lower than previously estimated.

"The costs compared to some of the beautification projects around town are minimal," he said.

"I mean think about how much money they've spent putting pieces of blast-rock around town and things like that."

Debate on the fate of the headframe has been rescheduled to take place during lunchtime at city hall June 9.

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