Inuvik’s town council has given the green light to an Inuvialuit Regional Corporation project that will create a 24-unit apartment building next to the town’s Mackenzie Hotel.
At a late June meeting, councillors were asked whether to approve discretionary use of land at 177 Mackenzie Road for the project.
The town’s zoning bylaw prevents construction of buildings that include dwellings in that area. However, if the building is mixed-use – containing residential and commercial development – council has the option to exercise its discretion and say yes.
To get around those rules, the IRC and contractor Dialog Design submitted plans for a building that includes one “live-work suite” – a housing unit with office space attached. All remaining units in the building are apartments.
Development officer Peter Scholz told councillors that approach meant the building qualifies for discretionary use of the land with council’s approval, rather than the longer and more complex process of rezoning the lot.
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A motion to accept the discretionary use proposal passed unopposed at the meeting.
“I think this is sorely needed in the rental market in Inuvik,” said deputy mayor Steve Baryluk.
“We definitely need some units to become available because people are on very long waiting lists.”
According to plans filed with the town, Dialog Design expected completion of the building by September 2026 at the time it submitted the proposal.
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The apartment building is part of a broader suite of developments the IRC is pursuing.
Last year, the IRC said those plans also include a new hotel and a new office building.
