Housing development for four neighbourhoods over the next five years is set to begin this month in the Town of Hay River with the sale of lots on Vale Island.
Senior administrative officer Glenn Smith presented the municipality’s plans with council to roll-out lots for development including 10 lots on Vale Island as well as future plans to expand in the new, planned neighbourhoods of Fraser Place, Sundog and Aspen Heights - Phase 1.
The Vale Island lots are set to go to market most immediately after council approved base pricing and disposal of the lots through auction at the Jan. 10 regular meeting.
The town-owned properties, which will be unserviced, were zoned residential early last year.
“We’re seeing there’s demand for all types of housing in town, but these properties are known for modular-type builds and trailers,” Smith said. “It’s a lower-cost area in terms of land costs and the housing types, but we feel there will be demand.”
Any lots not sold by auction will then be available at a first-come, first serve basis, he added.
A portion of the bulk of lots are located on a former city park area with long abandoned outdoor rink boards and an old basketball court on site. It is also directly adjacent to a former baseball park and now multi-use recreational area for which the town received $745,000 in federal revitalization funding last July. It is also footsteps from the Hay River Museum and Fisherman’s Wharf Pavilion - both areas that have attracted local and tourist traffic, especially in the summer.
“So there’s quite a bit going on in that area with both the parks development and the nine or 10 lots development,” Smith said.
Habitat for Humanity
One of the 10 lots is being considered for Habitat for Humanity NWT’s next build, which would be the first time the organization built outside of the North Slave.
Council approved a letter of support to the organization to apply for NWT anti-poverty funding and is expected to review a separate motion for disposal once negotiations with the municipality are complete.
Other neighbourhoods
Smith said the municipality is planning to alleviate growing housing and some commercial pressures with three other developments in the coming years.
They include 29 serviced lot sales at Fraser Place in 2023 west of the commercial core and off of McBryan Drive.
Fraser Place had been rezoned in March 2021 for residential and construction is expected to take place throughout 2022. These residential lots will be intended for single-family type residential units and will see paving work after being sold, in 2024.
Smith said the development also comes with ready-to-use services.
“There’s no need for installation of new lift stations or increased capacity or water and it’s ready to go and we will do so here in coming weeks.”
Further into the future, the schedule for developments being available for Aspen Heights-Phase 1 residential, near the 553 neighbourhood, is expected to begin seeing lots available for 2025. The 20-plus-acre development has been designated to see four multiple phases and multiple housing types in subsequent years. The first phase will focus on mobile homes.
The Sundog mixed commercial and residential area near the hospital is projected to be ready for lot sales in 2026.
The Evergreen housing development, which is also planned adjacent to Sundog and the hospital isn’t expected to be in place within the next 10 years.