LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Fort Simpson village council is seeking more information before deciding whether to relocate its office space, including council chambers, into a building which Nogha Enterprises Ltd. intends to construct this year.

The Fort Simpson Visitor Information Centre, owned by the municipality, where the village office are currently located. Nogha Enterprises hopes the village will give up its offices in order to lease office space in a building it plans to begin constructing this year. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo

The Liidlii Kue First Nation-owned company is looking to build a multi-tenant office structure in the village to be ready by early 2016.

The two storey building, which the intends to construct on the empty lot at the corner of 100 Street and 100 Avenue, would have up to 18,457 square feet in leaseable space according to plans provided to council.

A letter to the mayor last month indicates Nogha Enterprises hopes to lease half of the first floor, about 4,181 square feet, to the village for 20 years.

Though the letter acknowledges the village intends to enter a lease agreement, Mayor Sean Whelly said no decisions have been made.

Councillors said they want to hear more details about the

project from the company before any further discussion.

Council is hoping to hear from the company at a committee meeting on Monday.

"It would be interesting to listen to the proponent," Whelly said during the March 2 council meeting.

Coun. Bob Hanna said before the village even debates whether to enter a lease agreement, it needs to understand what kind of office space requirements it has.

Coun. Ron McCagg said that would include both current and future needs.

The letter to the mayor states the company is seeking confirmed tenants so it can move forward with financing the project.

"There's some urgency in this letter," said Coun. Ron McCagg.

The letter to council states Nogha Enterprises is managing construction of the office building for Liidlii Kue Society with construction expected to start this year. It hopes to have tenants moving in at the start of 2016.

An estimate of the yearly rental by councillors showed the village paying about $200,000 should it lease the space, which would include council chambers.

The village offices are currently located in The Fort Simpson Visitor Information Centre.

The village spends roughly $150,000 per year maintaining and running its current office building which the municipality both owns and occupies, said acting senior administrative officer Forrest McWade.

"That cost is likely to increase because of the state of the building, the work that will be needed for maintenance," McWade said.

He pointed out that one of the two boilers in the building doesn't work and other parts of the heating system need work.

The current office also serves as the visitor information centre.

The mayor said there's been interest expressed to him in having the structure become exclusively

used for tourism purposes should the village move out.

Whelly said he believes any decision on moving the village hall should be up to the public since it could mean a tax increase to cover extra costs.

"I don't think we're in any immediate rush to do anything," he said.

A request for comment from a representative of Nogha Enterprises was not returned by press time on March 3.