N.W.T. gov't still considering what to do with Yellowknife's abandoned visitor centre

The Northwest Territories government is still mulling over what to do with its sinking and abandoned former Northern Frontier Visitors Centre building.

The Yellowknife building, which was built partly on pilings over water in the early 1990s, had been shifting and sinking for years even before itclosed down in 2017.

It is currently in care and maintenance; it's monitored every day, according to the N.W.T.'s Department of Infrastructure.

"It's just basically surviving," said Kevin McLeod, an assistant deputy minister of Infrastructure.

He said it's currently OK to enter the building and look around, but not safe enough forpublic use as it is still shifting and the beams are under stress.The department estimates it's paying between $10,000 and $15,000 a year to take care of it.

We didn't want to remove the memory of the existing building. We wanted ... to pay homage to it.- Wayne Guy, principal of Guy Architects

McLeod said the government has been weighing its options since obtaining the "surplus building." Last spring, it spent $125,000 to stabilizeit, andput out a tenderin November for architecturecompanies to re-imagine new uses for the building.

"We're a prisoner of our experience in terms of what we know or what we don't know," said McLeod. "If people give us a better idea, or a different idea, that opens up all kinds of new worlds to us."

About six companies submitted proposals in November and three were chosen for a design competition. All three went through what McLeod calls "very stringent submission requirements." A selection boarddetermined the winner this February.

"Now we have some great ideas," said McLeod.

The department said it will go back-and-forth with the unnamed winner,exploring its options for next steps.

It cost the government $75,000, split equally among the three companies, for their ideas. McLeod said the government will use all of them going forward.

Submission imagines revamped visitor centre

Though not giving the specifics of the designs, McLeod said all three companies recognized the current building's location as a central "meeting point" between the legislative assembly, museum, military and RCMP buildings, and the Frame Lake trail.

"It's kind of a hub, and that's what we took away as one of the main key points of the competition," said McLeod.

Wayne Guy, principal of Guy Architects in Yellowknife, was unsuccessful in the design competition.

His team designed a revamped visitor centre "welcome to our home" as its concept.

It included a new amphitheatre outsidefor concerts holding up to 200 people, a two-storeyexhibition of all regions of the territory, a platform built on new foundation overlooking the water, offices on the second floor, andeven a bird watching area.

The plan included LED lights illuminating the building,which would change coloursto reflect the aurora forecast.

The centre would be similar in size to the old one; his plan would upgrade the existing building, not demolish it.

"It has a lot of historic merits. We didn't want to remove the memory of the existing building. We wanted, in some ways, to pay homage to it."

Guy, a Yellowknifer of 40 years,said he wanted the space to celebrate local art and culture, while showcasing Yellowknife to visitors as"this marvelous place on the planet."

Looking for occupants or demolishing

McLeod said his department is still looking for someone to occupy the space.

Under currentpolicies for surplus buildings, he said the offer goes out to governmententities first but so far, no departments or Crown corporations have "made a firm commitment to it."

He said then the offer will open up to outside groups with interest (who can directly contact the department).

And though McLeod said he doesn't have an expiration date for the site, if the department can't find anyone, it may be time to say goodbye.

"We're doing our due diligence in terms of seeking out folks who have a need for it. Andif there's no need for it, we follow our disposal process," said McLeod.

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