Walking along the new boardwalk of the retreat centre at the Takhini Hot Springs, Garry Umbrich, a director on the facility's board, shows off the 11 cabins being built to open in four to five weeks.

'I've had to turn away bookings because I wouldn't be ready,' he tells approximately six people who follow him Monday evening on a tour of the site after a public meeting about the hot springs' future.

The retreat centre is among the changes planned for the hot springs over the next few years. With the centre and new RV camping sites with electrical hookups opening this summer, investors are now pretty much 'tapped out' for any further upgrades.

However, as Umbrich told the crowd of approximately 25 who wandered into the public meeting last night, the board is looking to bring new investors aboard to continue with plans. They include developing chalets, more natural hot springs pools, a spa and an astronomy observatory. It might also include work to reroute the approach into the hot springs' parking lot.

For now, work is being done on the three-season retreat centre which Umbrich sees being used for workshops and gatherings.

Following a sanded roadway behind the pool eventually leads to the new site, where a larger barn will serve as a meeting place. In the yard sit a few cabins, one with canvas over it. The canvas is being tested to make sure it won't shrink in rain.

'This is a heavy-duty, 12-ounce canvas,' Umbrich said of the material, pointing to the extensive amount of local products being used for the construction.

Much of the wood is coming from the spruce beetle-killed trees in the Kluane area.

A large barn sits at the end of the driveway, which features a turn-around for the shuttle to be provided for guests. The barn will serve as a gathering area for those staying at the retreat centre.

'So when groups are booking and they have 20, 30, 40 people, maybe, they got a nice big meeting space,' Umbrich explained.

The old barn on the site has been integrated into the new one. The former hayloft could be used as an artist's studio, he noted.

The back part of the barn will feature a small kitchen and serving area.

A fire pit will also provide a gathering area for those staying at the retreat centre.

Composting toilets will be used on the site.

From the barn, there's the boardwalk leading to the row of tiny cabins. Standing inside the cabin, Umbrich explained there will be two single beds on each side of the cabin with a luggage rack at the end of the bed.

A small electrical fireplace will sit beneath the window facing the boardwalk with a desk and two chairs on the other side. Internet access will also be available in each cabin.

Turn of the century-style wallpaper will give the cabins an older style, he said.

Though the cabins don't have bathroom facilities, a washhouse has been built next to the cabins.

Asked how much the retreat centre portion of the project is costing, Umbrich replied simply with a laugh.

'Well, it's fairly pricey,' he said.

Board president Tom Parlee estimated the total costs of the plan for the entire property to be around $15 million.

In presenting the plan, Rob Sieniuc of Broadway Architects from Vancouver, which prepared the master plan, said the words 'eco-village resort' were chosen carefully in the plan as to what the resort will become.

'It's also about an ecological approach to development,' he said.

For Sieniuc, sustainability is about finding a balance between the land and people, all rooted to the region. With the variety of terrain a pond, steep rocky cliffs, a meadow land and more there are extensive opportunities for eco-tourism, but also the need to protect the area.

'We can bring more people, but we have to plan how we do that,' he said.

Part of the process in redeveloping the hot springs site is reclaiming the springs where there could be development so trees won't be taken away.

The proposed plan calls for the eco-spa to be located in a quieter area of the property at the meadow, within walking distance of the main site.

'And when I'm talking core area, I'm not talking about over-development here,' Sieniuc said.

'I'm talking about just an area that's used in that impacted area that's already there and basically clustering those kind of activities so we don't use the other green space.'

There would also be staff housing and camping in the main area.

Chalets could be built into the hill, fitting into the trees already there.

While the 'urban swimming pool' approach would still be available for kids, Sieniuc noted there could be a series of more natural pools. Umbrich explained during the tour of the springs that the water for the natural pools could be piped in.

There's also space for organic gardens on the 305-acre property north of Whitehorse.

Once into the site, much of the area would be designed for walking.

Being close to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve may mean some tie-ins between the two facilities.

'It's just a tremendous opportunity,' Sieniuc said.

The redevelopment will take a number of years, he said, noting the plan can change with the changing market place.

A lot of the redevelopment will depend on investors, Umbrich told the audience at the meeting. With the core investors tapped out, the last project they undertake could be adding the campground spaces.

Karen Greer, who came out for the meeting, noted she likes the idea of a more gradual approach into the hot springs' entrance rather than the current approach straight from the road into the parking lot.

'... If you're not aware of it, suddenly you are here in the middle of the parking lot and you're at a certain speed and the dust is flying and the horses are crossing the road,' she said.

The first impression someone wanting to relax may get is, Oh, my God, we're here now, right now.'

'And I really feel the entrance in this plan, changing it somehow so that it's a gradual and relaxing feeling as you approach and arrive, that that same kind of feeling that you're expecting to get from the hot springs itself is definitely an important one,' she said.

Lake Laberge MLA Brad Cathers, who attended the meeting, said the Department of Highways and Public Works has begun engineering work on the possibility of widening the Takhini Hot Springs Road after a constituent contacted the government on the matter. It could include a bike path or multiuse trail, said the Yukon Party MLA.

'Right now, it's very much in the conceptual stage,' Cathers stated.

While the government continues work on potential improvements to the road, the hot springs' board will continue working on its plans to redevelop the site.

Umbrich said there will likely be meetings on investment opportunities coming up this summer.