The estimated $31-million athletes' village for the 2007 Canada Winter Games will be used as permanent structures for Yukon College.

The announcement, detailing plans for the village, was made during a press conference Tuesday at the future site of the two buildings, which will house 1,800 athletes during the two-week event.

Due to the tight timeline to get the village built, Premier Dennis Fentie said, the territory, which took over managing the development, put project management and contract management in charge of making sure it's completed.

'If we meet, under this process, every mile post ahead of us, we will see a completion date of October 2006,' Fentie said, noting the benefits of the project will extend beyond the Games.

While he admits the deadline is 'cutting it pretty fine' with the team in charge, it can be done.

'This is a golden opportunity for our territory,' he said.

Piers McDonald, the Games' host society president, also referred to the short timeline, noting it's believed that with the plan in place and those overseeing the project, it can be built on time.

The plans will see two housing facilities made up of modular units built at the Yukon College site. The campus itself opened in 1988.

'In just a few short weeks, work will commence on this site to begin the foundation of two structures,' Community Services Minister Glenn Hart said.

Both structures are planned to be three stories with a complete lower level. There will be a barrier-free access design on ground floors with elevators located with indoor stairwells at each end of the buildings. There will also be laundry facilities on each floor.

The smaller of the two, to be located next to the existing residence, will be a total of 51,000 square feet and include 12 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom suites to accommodate 672 athletes during the Games.

The two-bedroom units in that building will be 1,100 square feet, with the three-bedroom units a total of 1,380 square feet.

The larger building, to be located on the southwest corner of the campus, will be a total of 78,000 square feet and include 18 one-bedroom and 30 two-bedroom units, accommodating 1,132 athletes during the Games.

The modular units will likely be built Outside then transported to the territory. However, Hart noted, there will be tenders going out for Yukon contractors to work on the on-site construction.

The city also agreed to write off property taxes on the permanent structures for 10 years or to a maximum of $2.5 million and to cover all permits and fees for the village.

The territory will likely invest about $16 million with additional funding coming from partners in the work like the city, host society and others, Hart said.

'I think I'd like to say this is the best option that we can basically state that we can basically complete the facility in time for the Games, but the issue here that we're looking at is the end use of these facilities, and that's what we're building for,' he said.

Project manager Mike Fraser said there will likely be a 50-50 split between work done Outside and locally.

'We are planning the excavation and clearing of the site shortly,' he said. 'And with that, what we want to do is have the foundations for the lower levels constructed prior to freeze-up this year.'

The modular units would then likely arrive over the winter months.

There are three large firms in the modular business in Alberta and B.C. that Fraser has been in contact with, including Atco, Britco and Travco.

Fraser said there will be a tendering process for the modulars, which will be four metres wide by 17 metres in length. A crane will put the modular units in place.

'Once that's done, there's additional work on site to be done with the corridors and mechanical, electrical systems as well as exterior package like you see here with the balconies and insulation and siding,' Fraser said, pointing to a sketch of the proposed structures.

With things 'moving rapidly forward now,' he said, he's confident the structures can be built on time.

Fentie called the development an investment in enhancing education and the territory's future. There can be more of a focus on bringing students in from rural communities to study at the college in programs like home care.

They can then return to their home communities with their skills, Fentie said.

'Our economy and its growth is certainly heading in a direction where we need to establish more involvement of Yukoners in improving thier skill sets and their trades and their capacity to meet the needs of that economic growth,' the premier said.

It could enhance the territory's ability to move into more climate change research and has implications for the Northern Strategy and the potential Northern Innovation Cluster, also known as a think tank.

The Yukon Chamber of Commerce also announced it's doing a feasibility study on the possibility of the cluster, which sees groups of research intelligence and geographical concentrations of companies dedicated to find solutions for known issues.

'I think the objective here is clear,' Fentie said. 'We want to make Yukon College a centre of excellence North of 60. This is another step towards that very important goal.'

From the college's perspective, it's a 'classic win-win' situation, said longtime president Sally Webber.

'The housing that will house our students in the years to come, in the decades to come, will enable our people to take their place as professionals and paraprofessionals and highly-skilled tradesmen and others in the Yukon economy,' she said.

The buildings will be the most significant structures the campus has seen since it was new.

Mayor Ernie Bourassa reflected that about a year ago, the Games' economic impact on the city was estimated to be close to $100 million.

'That was before this project came along,' he said.

'(I'd) suggest it's going to be substantially more than $100 million now.'