On land provided by the territory for $1, Yukon developers plan to build at least 300 housing units in the heart of downtown Whitehorse.

“This is a significant stride towards addressing the pressing need for better housing options, particularly in Whitehorse,” Premier Ranj Pillai told a news conference Thursday afternoon.

“Everyone deserves a place to call home.”

The 2.12-hectare brownfield site lies at Fifth Avenue and Rogers Street.

While it has a market value of $4 million to $5 million, the government estimates it would cost $14 million to get it ready for development.

This work includes cleaning up lingering fuel contaminants, clearing the land of buildings and trees, constructing a berm, moving power lines, and protecting the site from potential landslides and other geohazards from the escarpment.

That cost, along with construction of the buildings, will be handled by the private sector.

The developer, West End Developments, is a consortium of four well-know Yukon firms:

Da Daghay Development Corp., Ketza Construction Corp., Kobayashi + Zedda Architects Ltd., and Northern Vision Development LP.

Representatives were on hand for Thursday’s announcement, along with government staff and others involved in the project to date.

“We think this is a win-win,” said Energy, Mines and Resources Minister John Streicker, whose department is responsible for land management.

“This will revitalize an area of downtown largely unused since the mid 1960s. Developing (this site) has been a long time coming.”

Several architectural renderings were shown of the proposed mixed development, with buildings varying in height from three to six stories.

The working title for the project is “Kèjän + Rogers”, using the Southern Tutchone word for “five” to reflect the significant role of First Nations as developers and as future residents.

“As a parcel within Ta’an Kwäch’än traditional territory, the development group will endeavour to realize First Nation economic reconciliation, create much needed housing, and help establish a new sustainable downtown neighbourhood,” said Tiffany Eckert-Maret, a spokesperson for West End Developments and COO of Du Dugay, the Ta’an Kwäch’än development corporation.

“In Together Today for Our Children Tomorrow, my grandparents spoke of how we Yukon First Nations people must take part in the development of our Yukon,” she said, with some emotion.

“The Kèjän + Rogers development will mark the first time Yukon companies forge together to work collaboratively on developing the best housing for Whitehorse.”

Eckert-Maret noted that jobs, increased property values and economic growth will come with the development.

“We thank the companies who are willing to walk together with Da Daghay Corporation; we need this more than talking reconciliation; this is reconciliACTION.”

No hard numbers are available yet, but the cost of the development will run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Streicker acknowledged that the new height rules in the city’s Official Community Plan could see the buildings become taller than currently proposed.

Construction could start this summer. The development will be carried out in stages.

Unfortunately, there are no plans as of yet for a school downtown to support the soon-to-be growing population, both at Fifth and Rogers and, eventually, at the “grader station” site at the north end of Second Avenue.

Pillai said the Department of Education will continue to focus work around where schools are needed in future, but offered up no specifics.

“But as thousands of people move into the downtown core, we will have to contemplate about a site for an educational structure,” he said.

The government plans to build a new École Whitehorse Elementary School in Takhini.

The fate of the existing downtown school, now more than 70 years old, remains publicly unknown.

The Kèjän + Rogers project is still in its early stages, so there are no hard numbers for how many buildings (eight to 10) nor how many units (about 300), of what type, would be built.

There will be a “healthy mix” of affordable, rent-to-own, and market housing, said Pillai, who is also the minister responsible for the Yukon Housing Corp.

As well, the ground floor and some second-floor commercial space would be available for retail, doctors’ offices, daycare, a convenience store and more – all helping build the social fabric of the neighbourhood, he added.

“Growing our housing stock is a priority now and will continue to be a central focus of this government,” said Pillai.

The City of Whitehorse supports the project.

“This is an exciting step forward; now a developer can come to the city and start having conversations with us,” said city councillor Ted Laking, speaking as deputy mayor.

“We are seeing an insane amount of growth here; the city is changing very fast; we are running out of homes, and we desperately need the housing.

“What this will do, it will liven up our main street, it will revitalize the community, and my colleagues and I are really excited to see this move forward,” Laking added.

“This is all part of a larger puzzle to address the housing crisis in the territory.”