Whitehorse Daily Star

City hall reconstruction project progresses

City council is moving forward with the project to reconstruct city hall.

By Whitehorse Star on June 15, 2021

City council is moving forward with the project to reconstruct city hall.

At its meeting Monday, council approved a $3.9-million budget amendment, raising the total budget to $24.7 million.

The plans are part of the city’s building consolidation project that included the new operations building off Range Road and the new fire hall on Black Street.

“As a component of the overall building consolidation project, the new city hall will house core administrative and public services,” says the administrative report to council.

“The building will provide operational efficiencies for administration and council, enhanced service delivery to the public, and security for staff.”

The report notes that in order to meet funding deadlines required by external sources, construction documents must be ready for tender by late this summer in order to allow for project completion by the end of 2023.

External funding has been secured for two thirds of the cost, and the city will be contributing $8 million.

Under the proposed reconstruction project, the old part of city hall built in 1966 (the front half of the building facing Second Avenue) would be demolished.

New construction would see an L-shaped, two-storey structure built and tied into the newest remaining section of city hall built in 1987, where the council chambers are.

Comments (10)

Up 18 Down 0

Yukon Justice on Jun 17, 2021 at 2:36 pm

Couldn't you just fix the potholes?

Up 12 Down 0

Lori on Jun 17, 2021 at 1:03 pm

@Jim, please let us all know what you found out about the vote. I too, will be considering this when election time comes around.

Up 20 Down 0

Jim on Jun 16, 2021 at 10:01 pm

Article doesn’t state whether this was a unanimous vote or a split. I for one would like to know as I know who I won’t be voting for this fall. I guess it’s off to find for myself as reporting the whole story seems to be an issue.

Up 15 Down 0

Wilf Carter on Jun 16, 2021 at 9:30 am

Matthew great point with the increase in population because of our life style.

Up 24 Down 0

Nathan Living on Jun 16, 2021 at 1:12 am

Yes always rubber stamp city administration recommendations unless you see the gallery full of angry taxpayers.

You must know Council does not follow comments in news articles because they can be truthful and somewhat negative.

Up 28 Down 0

Omgnowai!! on Jun 15, 2021 at 6:27 pm

I didn't see this coming at all! Yay crushed kleenex box!
The sad thing is we pay councilors to sit there. What's the point?
This entire discussion was a waste of time but we paid for it and we're going to pay for it! Kangaroo.

I mean that seriously by the way. Nothing changed at all with councilors being there. There was no mention of "hey how about congestion and a 2nd bridge to Riverdale or other things the public asked for?"

Could we do a project that benefits all citizens?
Meh, why bother. Apple cart and upsetting and stuff

Up 51 Down 2

Matthew on Jun 15, 2021 at 3:35 pm

Shocking! Talk about living in a dictatorship.. let's be honest here, we need to start doubling up roads ASAP! It can take 30 mins from PC to DT in the mornings, or from WhistleBend to DT... newsflash CoW, there are 40,000 people here now, not 20,000. Infrastructure needs to accommodate without your swanky new City Hall.. we ALL know the costs will balloon into the low $30M, who's going to cover that, correct, higher taxes...

Up 47 Down 3

John on Jun 15, 2021 at 2:53 pm

Surprise, surprise... As if no-one could have guessed. Just plain wasteful spending by a council totally out-of-touch with what is really needed in this City.

Members of council should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. Well it will make it easy to weed out those that supported this drivel...

Up 40 Down 6

Wilf Carter on Jun 15, 2021 at 2:40 pm

Yukon Government telling the city what to do? No respect for City of Whitehorse voters by the Federal liberals or Yukon. Go more into debt. Just what we need!!!

Up 45 Down 4

JSM on Jun 15, 2021 at 1:53 pm

What a self serving bunch of arrogant people. I can not believe this is what we are spending money on when there is so much even in further disrepair. To cut down a tree which many consider sacred to Whitehorse as well just shows the lack of care of love for the city.

This once lovely town is slowly being taken over by out of town yuppies.

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