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Constructing a brand new $86-million central library in downtown Ottawa is a better option than renovating the current building on Metcalfe Street, says a new report to be considered by the public library’s board of directors next week.
The project is still a long way from becoming a reality, but consultants have identified city-owned land at 557 Wellington St., just west of Bronson Avenue, as the preferred site.
It beat out six other city-owned locations in the central core, including 7 Bayview, the future home of the city’s new Innovation Centre.
The Wellington Street site is considered a superior location because it is located on the edge of the downtown precinct, is close to commercial, residential and institutional facilities, and is easily accessible by public transit, walking, cycling and car.
The site is just east of where the new Pimisi light-rail station is to located.
The report comes almost a year after the library board was given three options for modernizing its existing facility at 120 Metcalfe St. — renewal, renovation, redevelopment.
But none of those options was seen as workable, especially considering the cost was estimated at as high as $70 million.
The board then directed staff to develop a business case for a new facility with the potential for a public-private partnership.
Consultants were hired to identify city-owned sites close to public transit that have the potential to accommodate the 130,000 square feet needed to build a new library, as well as develop cost estimates and get an appraisal to determine the estimated value of the existing building.
The current main library and administrative offices total 109,000 square feet; therefore, a 132,000-square foot central library would be a 21 per cent increase in size.
The modernized facility is envisioned as a downtown, community-based creative learning library that would serve as both a downtown branch and provide city-wide services, be user-friendly, accessible and welcoming. It would feature flexible spaces, have wireless service throughout the building and provide the ability for some components to be open when library is closed.
One of the principles of the new-build option is that the new central library should remain in the urban core in order to provide convenient access to the Confederation line when it opens in 2018.
Seven city-owned sites were identified that are within or near the downtown core area and in close proximity to a planned station on the Confederation line.
The sites are: 7 Bayview Rd., 557 Wellington St., 156-160 Lyon St., 110 Laurier Ave. W., 70 Clarence St., 300 Coventry Rd., and 141 Bayview Rd.
Five of those sites didn’t pass the first test and were not given further consideration because they did not score high enough (the evaluation criteria included the site’s physical capacity, LRT and pedestrian access, and location in the downtown central area).
The Bayview and Wellington sites were given a closer look, but Bayview scored lower because it’s on the western edge of the central area and is not presently located near any commercial, residential or institutional facilities.
The site also has “significant environmental and geotechnical issues,” the consultants say.
In addition to the city using public funds to build a new library on city land, the consultants identified four other options for structuring the project, including the possibility of partnering with a private-sector consortium to design and build the new facility on land that’s either owned by the city or by the developer.
When it considers the report next week, the library board will also be asked to approve spending $800,000 this year to continue planning for the project. A new central library has also been identified as a priority in the strategic initiatives exercise, which is currently underway.
The library board and, ultimately, city council, isn’t expected to award the contract until 2017. Construction would likely begin the following year.
mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/mpearson78
查看原文...
The project is still a long way from becoming a reality, but consultants have identified city-owned land at 557 Wellington St., just west of Bronson Avenue, as the preferred site.
It beat out six other city-owned locations in the central core, including 7 Bayview, the future home of the city’s new Innovation Centre.
The Wellington Street site is considered a superior location because it is located on the edge of the downtown precinct, is close to commercial, residential and institutional facilities, and is easily accessible by public transit, walking, cycling and car.
The site is just east of where the new Pimisi light-rail station is to located.
The report comes almost a year after the library board was given three options for modernizing its existing facility at 120 Metcalfe St. — renewal, renovation, redevelopment.
But none of those options was seen as workable, especially considering the cost was estimated at as high as $70 million.
The board then directed staff to develop a business case for a new facility with the potential for a public-private partnership.
Consultants were hired to identify city-owned sites close to public transit that have the potential to accommodate the 130,000 square feet needed to build a new library, as well as develop cost estimates and get an appraisal to determine the estimated value of the existing building.
The current main library and administrative offices total 109,000 square feet; therefore, a 132,000-square foot central library would be a 21 per cent increase in size.
The modernized facility is envisioned as a downtown, community-based creative learning library that would serve as both a downtown branch and provide city-wide services, be user-friendly, accessible and welcoming. It would feature flexible spaces, have wireless service throughout the building and provide the ability for some components to be open when library is closed.
One of the principles of the new-build option is that the new central library should remain in the urban core in order to provide convenient access to the Confederation line when it opens in 2018.
Seven city-owned sites were identified that are within or near the downtown core area and in close proximity to a planned station on the Confederation line.
The sites are: 7 Bayview Rd., 557 Wellington St., 156-160 Lyon St., 110 Laurier Ave. W., 70 Clarence St., 300 Coventry Rd., and 141 Bayview Rd.
Five of those sites didn’t pass the first test and were not given further consideration because they did not score high enough (the evaluation criteria included the site’s physical capacity, LRT and pedestrian access, and location in the downtown central area).
The Bayview and Wellington sites were given a closer look, but Bayview scored lower because it’s on the western edge of the central area and is not presently located near any commercial, residential or institutional facilities.
The site also has “significant environmental and geotechnical issues,” the consultants say.
In addition to the city using public funds to build a new library on city land, the consultants identified four other options for structuring the project, including the possibility of partnering with a private-sector consortium to design and build the new facility on land that’s either owned by the city or by the developer.
When it considers the report next week, the library board will also be asked to approve spending $800,000 this year to continue planning for the project. A new central library has also been identified as a priority in the strategic initiatives exercise, which is currently underway.
The library board and, ultimately, city council, isn’t expected to award the contract until 2017. Construction would likely begin the following year.
mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/mpearson78
查看原文...
