It didn't come as a big surprise to Frostbite Music Society president Michael Bellon when Mayor Bev Buckway and Coun. Dave Stockdale told him the city may not be all that interested in taking on another historic house at Shipyards Park.

"It always comes down to money," he said last week, after attending a noon meeting of the city's senior management and council. Buckway and Stockdale were the only two members of council who attended.

Bellon has been searching for a new home for the Krautschneider House, built in the early 1900s, with the Yukon government set to do an environmental cleanup of its Marwell yard the building was moved to in 1999.

Frostbite had originally been set to use the building as its headquarters in Shipyards Park, but when the historic Chambers House became available, it opted to move in there because the space was more suited to the society's needs.

Krautschneider House has remained in the YTG lot ever since.

Bellon was informed of the territory's plan to clean up the site, so Frostbite needs to move or dismantle the building.

Since the Miles Canyon Historic Railway Society turned down the idea of having the house moved to its site in the Copperbelt area, Bellon has been searching for a new spot for the home.

He proposed to the city that the building be moved to Shipyards Park, as the original plan for the park included the house.

At last week's meeting, city planning manager Mike Gau informed Buckway and Stockdale that both the Krautschneider and Chambers houses were included in the 2002 design, but by 2004 a further park plan excluded both buildings.

Eventually the Chambers House was relocated to the site, he said.

In general, he noted, the city's Official Community Plan supports the addition of heritage buildings in the park, though "there's a point where we decide there's enough food or not.

"The building is in need of repair," Gau said, adding that Bellon has been working on stabilizing the structure.

It was also noted that while Frostbite wouldn't want to take on the full-time operation of the building, it does have a volunteer base to work on fixing it up.

"The other important observation is that, as you know, the city has been working on the appearance of the existing buildings in Shipyards and the exterior work is finished and we're looking to start on the interior work this fall as well as finding uses," Gau said, pointing to the plan of finding tenants for the older structures in the park.

"So the essential question is: do we want the Krautschneider House to be located amongst the other buildings in Shipyards?"

Gau then noted three spots in the park where it could go. One spot is next to Hatch House (Pioneer Hotel 2), another is closer to the Miller House and the third, which is the preference ofcity planners, is between the Yukon River and the trail through the park closest to the Miller House.

While Frostbite hasn't sought any city funds to have the building relocated to its park, Gau noted that there would be a cost if the house was to be connected to city services in the park.

If the city were to take over maintenance after it's moved to the area, that would also likely come at a cost, it was pointed out by both Buckway and Stockdale.

With Frostbite's "hands full," Bellon suggested the 1956 addition made to the building could be taken off. That would preserve the unique architecture of the structure, with the remaining part of the building serving as an information booth located close to the parking lot for Shipyards.

"That's my vision," Bellon said, adding that the project to preserve the house has become a personal one for him, given the other work Frostbite has to do right now.

The architecture of the building was cited as the feature of historic significance, with little else about it being of historical significance.

Gau pointed out that when an analysis was done on the structure, it received a score of 64/100 in terms of significance. That would likely be lower now that it's not at its original location at the corner of Second Avenue and Strickland Street.

There are also issues around the need for fire protection and potential vandalism that could come even with just placing the building as a shell in the park, Buckway said.

The mayor also cited "flack" the city received for the time it's taken to fix up the buildings that are already there.

"It's still not done and the cost is huge," she said.

As Gau pointed out, the $440,000 price tag was not cash the city had at hand to put into the work, but rather came out of a federal government fund.

"I see more problems with putting it in Shipyards Park than I do putting it somewhere else," Buckway said.

Planning staff had noted at one time a possibility of having the house moved to a spot on Main Street. However, Bellon said the property owner is "adamant" that the house not go there.

Bellon continued to note that while Frostbite doesn't want to take on the continued maintenance of the building, it does have volunteers to get it to a point where the city could then take over.

"And that's the problem for us," Buckway said, citing the ongoing operating costs the city is often left with after another party invests in a capital project.

"We have to be cautious," she said, noting there are already three older buildings in the park.

For council members, said Stockdale, "these are really, really difficult decisions to make."

On one hand, its historic value seems limited to the architecture, but on the other hand, "once it's gone, it's gone," the councillor said.

He later commented that if Bellon could work up the same public support Trevor the dog has received this summer, he may stand a chance of saving the building.

Gau noted Bellon had stated as a last resort the house may be moved to his property in Golden Horn.

For now though, Bellon said, he will continue working on getting the building set to be moved, wherever that final destination may be.

As for whether the issue will come back to council at a formal council meeting for a vote, city manager Dennis Shewfelt said staff will likely talk to other council members to see if that's the direction they want to go in before deciding whether it will return to council chambers.