A new facility the Department of National Defence plans to build in Yellowknife will be located on three lots in an industrial area on the city's outskirts.

The location of the new facility was one of the details revealed at an information meeting in Yellowknife this week, aimed at local contractors hoping to work on the project. It was standing room only, with more than 50 contractors in attendance.

National Defence team leader Jeremy Mansfield said the multi-purpose building will be located on three lots in the city's Engle Business District.

"We're going to do a lot of blasting," he said. "The good news is, it's away from where people live. You should be able to build unfettered by problems of noise."

The 7,600 square metre facility will accommodate offices, the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol, training classrooms, an assembly hall, logistic and supply functions, vehicle maintenance garages, and storage.

An official said the Joint Task Force North building adjacent to the RCMP detachment in downtown Yellowknife will remain in use. The new building will bring together approximately 110 National Defence members and employees occupying other rented spaces in the city. There are a total of about 365 National Defence personnel and rangers stationed in Yellowknife.

The new building will be highly efficient, with the department requiring a design that will be LEED Silver certified at a minimum. The LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a points system used to rate the efficiency of buildings.

At the Tuesday contractor briefing, officials said they plan to issue a tender for site preparation within the next few weeks. That work is scheduled to be done this summer. That contract — estimated to be worth about $4 million — has been set aside for Indigenous businesses only, an official said.

A tender for the design and construction of the building is scheduled to be issued in the fall, with construction slated to begin in 2022.

The department is aiming to have the building completed by 2024.

Officials urged any contractors aiming to bid on the project to apply now for any security clearance that may be required to work on the building. It typically takes between four to six months to get a security clearance. As a rule, no clearance is required for site preparation work or other work outside the building.