A new freestanding branch library would be the most cost-effective way of addressing St. Albert Public Library’s space needs, according to a report presented to council.
On Monday night, Charmaine Brooks, the library board chair and Vivian Manasc, principal architect at Manasc Isaac, presented the findings of an updated feasibility report on how best to expand library space.
Manasc said they were considering options on how to provide another 23,000 square feet of space.
‘We looked at a number of options for how to expand the library because the library space really is crowded,” she said.
Options mentioned to council including adding onto St. Albert Place, building a new central library or building a freestanding branch.
“The most sustainable solution does appear to be building a branch library,” said Manasc.
“What we’re looking at is a capital budget in the order of $12-million,” she said, noting between amortized capital costs and operational needs this amounts to about $1.26 million in annual costs for 25 years. That did not include staffing costs.
Manasc said adding onto St. Albert place would cost about $24 to 25 million and building a new central library was about $31-million.
Brooks spoke of the challenges the library currently faces, adding there are many people who would like to use the space to connect and not enough room to accommodate all of them.
“I think what we’d like to do is have those spaces so we don’t have to say no so much,” Brooks said.
Coun. Cathy Heron asked the library representatives to consider submitting two business cases for consideration – one for a freestanding branch library, and one for a new central location. That way council could compare options, she said.
Since the report was given as a part of the public presentations portion of the meeting, council did not have to vote to receive the report for information or make any motions.
Mayor Nolan Crouse suggested that any action from the city government needs to be from council, not administration.
“This bench owns the politics of this,” Crouse said. “I think this has to come from the bench somehow.”
He suggested if any member of council wanted to move the issue forward, they could give notice of motion on the matter.
