Construction on Iqaluit's next hotel could begin next year

The Qikiqtaaluk Business Development Corporation says construction work on a hotel and conference centre in Iqaluit could begin next year.

The development corporation, a subsidiary of the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, is planning to develop a mix of commercial and residential buildings on 16.2 hectares of land along Federal Road. It's also approached the Government of Nunavut to consider using its property as the site of a historical museum.

"First and foremost ... is our plans for the hotel and conference centre which we would like to get under way next construction season," said Sheldon Nimchuk a project development director with QBDC.

The new development is hoping to tie into the city's water and sewage system.

To do that, QBCD reached out to the City of Iqaluit to work together, including looking at the potential of developing a parcel of municipal property just north of it.

"In the past few months, we've been looking at also the opportunity that the lands above the property line of the Inuit-owned land could be quite feasible to develop as a municipal sub-division," Nimchuk said.

The QBDC is partnering with the city to develop engineering plans to extend the utillidor system along Federal Road and look at the possibility of erecting a snow fence. 

To pay for those engineering plans, QBDC applied to the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency for up to $400,000 of funding.

It also agreed to put up $90,000 towards the plans and on Tuesday night, Iqaluit city council agreed to match that commitment if the funding application to CanNor is successful.

Between its own plans for residential properties and a possible city sub-division, Nimchuk estimates anywhere between 300 to 400 housing units could be built.