Yellowknife eyes downtown parking lot for possible outdoor plaza

Yellowknife city council will vote next week on whether to buy an unused parking lot downtown.

The city proposes the space be turned into an outdoor plaza, aproposal council will vote on at a later date.

City administration is asking council to approve the purchase of the empty lot at the corner of 50thAvenue and 50th Street adjacent to theCentre Square Mallfor $1.4 million.

The city already owns three empty lots on50th Street as part of its downtown revitalization plan. Administration is proposingselling those properties together for $1.3millionand purchasingthe parking lot.

Council will vote this coming Monday on the land saleand purchase.

Jeff Humble, the city's director of planning and development, says buying the lot will allow the city to work with the owners of Centre Square Mall on making improvements to the malland provide a public gathering space downtown for outdoor events.

Humble says sprucing upthe downtown corner lot will make the 50th Street lots more attractive to buyers. The city also expects the revitalization project to be eligible for fundingfrom the territorial and federal governments.

"It is the heart of our downtown, so we are looking for significant investment," he said.

But Councillor Rebecca Altysays she isn't sold on the need for another outdoor plaza with Somba K'e Park a block away.

"I just don't think that purchasing this land will be the linchpin that turns everything in downtown around." she said.

Alty wants to see the city make improvements to what it currently owns, such assidewalks, instead of spending more on new developments.