Work is underway at the site of the replacement for the 1960s era Frances Morrison Central Library.
Grey skies and a light drizzle didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm at an event to officially mark the beginning of work on the Saskatoon Public Library’s new downtown branch.
“Hey! We’re going to build the public library — let’s celebrate!“ declared Mayor Charlie Clark as he encouraged a crowd of about 100 people to cheer at a groundbreaking ceremony at the now-empty parcel of land at 321 Second Ave. N., which will be the site of the new building.
Clark noted SPL has been working and putting away money since 2009 to move on from the nearly 60-year-old Frances Morrison Central Library building on 23rd Street East. Various downtown locations have been eyed as potential replacements along the way before the new site was chosen.
“In today’s fast-paced world where public space and community connections have been diminished, libraries are as important as ever,” Clark said, noting Canadian cities including Halifax, Edmonton and Calgary have all in recent years completed new downtown library builds.
He said he views a new, modern library facility as a necessity to meet the needs of Saskatoon’s rapidly growing population, rather than a “nice-to-have” luxury item.
Work at the site was meant to start last summer, but the library’s board was forced to pause the project for a redesign as inflation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic made the previous design impossible to construct within the $134 million budget.
SPL interim CEO and director of libraries Beth Côté said it “wasn’t unusual” for the library to find itself grappling with cost challenges shared by the entire construction industry since the pandemic.
She said library officials are now confident that things will move forward smoothly after working with architects, trades and other design professionals on “value engineering” to re-scope the project.
Côté said the redesigned project “will not be exactly the same” as the artist’s renderings presented to the public in 2022, but will still feature a “beautiful, sloping” exterior meant to evoke “a lighted tipi off in the distance of the Prairies.” She said updated artist renderings are expected to be unveiled this fall.
The redesign was focused on maintaining square footage for public use, Côté said, noting that employee spaces were downsized, and some functions will be relocated to other sites in the city.
There was also a “re-thinking of some of the adjacencies” in the previous design in order to find more efficient ways to use available space, Côté added.
Tuesday’s ceremony marks the start of remediation on the site, which is expected to last throughout the summer. Construction is then set to begin this fall.
The Second Avenue site previously featured businesses including a gas station and a dry cleaner, which makes it necessary to remove potentially contaminated soil to prepare for construction.
Côté said with the redesign complete and work set to proceed, the new central library branch is on track to open to the public in 2027.
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