A new condominium subdivision is planned for Whitehorse, this one aimed at being affordable and green - two ingredients city hall has been asking for.

Falcon Ridge Developments is planning to develop 92 condo units on River Ridge Lane off Range Road, along the bluffs right next to the Mountain View Mobile Home Park.

Brian Little, project manager for Falcon Ridge, told the Star recently the emphasis in the condo village is "affordability.'"

"Whitehorse doesn't need another neighbourhood with houses that aren't affordable," he said.

The first 18 units of the Mountain Air Estates development will be sold for $199,900, far below their appraised value, he said.

"Others will bump up in price after that," he said, depending on their location and internal upgrades.

Veteran local realtor Marj Eschak, who is co-marketing the project with fellow realtor Gerald Budzinski, said today the first 18 units are expected to be available this fall.

The second and third phases in 2009 and 2010 will deliver the remaining 74 units, she added.

Little said the phase two condos will begin retailing at $209,000, with the price rising incrementally until all units are sold.

The developers are beginning to take names of interested buyers immediately, with lots being sold on a "first-come, first-served" basis.

Eschak said there will be added costs for those condominiums with preferred views and lot locations.

Each unit will come standard with granite countertops, a garborator and overhanging microwave in the kitchen, fridge, stove and dishwasher, and large walk-in tile showers in the master bedroom ensuite, he said.

"There are some high-end pieces in them," Little said. The downstairs walls will be textured, a trend Little said is sought-after Outside.

The units are divided into four-plexes, each with 938 square feet. The developers will offer two floor plan models: a two-bedroom and a three-bedroom option.

Aside from aesthetic appeal, Little said, the units will be built to Yukon Green Home standards. This means they will be sealed airtight to prevent heat leakage, have "beefed-up" insulation and will be overall very "energy-efficient," he said.

The subdivision borders on the greenbelt that overlooks the Yukon River, and has a treed buffer zone on another boundary.

Little said from most units, the view is of trees and foliage. Back-facing units are also provided an exclusive use area that is essentially a small backyard owners can fence, if they please.

Eschak said the development will take place on a two-hectare lot along the bluff, with ample room for parking.

While tenants will not be able to see the Yukon River from their homes because of the treed area, she said, it will be a very short walk to the trail system that runs along the bluffs and overlooks the river.

Eschak said the condos will be of modular construction fabricated in Portland, Ore., and shipped to the port of Skagway and on to Whitehorse.

Each unit will come in four sections, and will be assembled using local contractors, she said.

The walls, Eschak pointed out, will be R-30, the ceilings will be R-40 and all the windows will be triple-pane.

"This is a new initiative to bring on homes that are really good quality that are deemed to be affordable these days," she said.

Star reporter Chuck Tobin contributed to this story.