SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
City councillors are daydreaming about what could go in the city-owned lots between the Gold Range Bistro and the Raven Pub but those dreams may never come true because the lots went on the market this year.

The conversation came up while discussing a plan to build a plaza at the 50/50 lot – councillors found themselves discussing another empty group of lots on the street, where the Corner Mart and Instaloans used to stand. Consultant Simon Taylor with Taylor Architecture Group, said the parking lot filled with gravel between the Gold Range Bistro and the Raven Pub could be used to satisfy public demand for a new library, which emerged as a popular option during 50/50 lot consultations.

Jeff Humble, the city's director of planning and development, said if council is considering building a library on the site, they need to pull the lots off the market. He said they were posted for sale on the city's website earlier this year, upon council's request, for $1.3 million.

"If there is even a thought that we might go down that road we at least want to explore taking (the lots) off the market," said Humble.

The city bought the land in 2012, paying $975,000. The Corner Mart left in January 2013, six weeks before the end of its lease.

Humble said when the city purchased the lands – around the beginning of this council's term – the strategy was to acquire more lands to build some kind of a civic building.

"The idea was always, at least administratively, for a bigger civic institutional anchor," he said. "The concept wasn't necessarily to turn around and flip the land."

In the spring of 2013, the city spent $52,000 cleaning up a fuel spill behind the old Instaloans building. After demolishing the buildings and maintaining the property for three years, Humble said the city has spent $1.3 million on the lots, and that's what they're asking from developers interested in purchasing them.

The cost includes original sale price, appraisal, legal fees, environmental assessment, demolition and environmental costs plus the cost of the fuel spill after the purchase, said Humble. The last time tax revenues were received for the lots in 2011, the bill came to $16,652.

The lots have to be sold off as a chunk, he said. One developer has contacted him since they were put on the market but they've since backed away in favour of another lot elsewhere in the city.

Coun. Linda Bussey said she is uncomfortable deciding what to do with the 50/50 lot before the other lots on the street have been addressed. She said she likes the library idea, but has thought more housing would be helpful as well.

"If not a library, Why not put some eco-housing in there?" she said.

Why not on 50/50?

Coun. Rebecca Alty said the 50/50 lot report – which cost $175,000 – showed 23 per cent of respondents wanted a library and asked if a plan to build a library was also considered on that site.

Mayor Mark Heyck pointed out that 76 per cent of the respondents asked for more outdoor public space and other things that would be served by a plaza.

But Taylor said he didn't want to ignore the library request altogether, so the possibility of putting one in the vacant lots down the street was written into his final diagrams.

Humble said the city has previous cost estimates for a new library, but Dennis Kefalas, senior administrative officer, said the city's prior estimate is out of date.

"I think anything that was done in the past is obsolete right now," he said.

"If you want to consider rebuilding a library or opening a new library, we'll have to perform a library study to determine the costs associated. Everything that was done is quite antiquated."

Heyck said council will consider accepting the 50/50 lot plan but he expects that a discussion on building a library on the lots across the street won't happen at Monday's meeting.

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