Reprinted with permission from “on
a + note”, the blog of Guelph Public Library’s CEO, Kitty Pope,
April 16, 2012
A New Main Library for Guelph
The Guelph Main Library Building Program and Functional Plan
Report (BPFP) by Consultants Garwood-Jones and Hanham finally has been completed
and accepted by the Guelph Public Library Board.
The lengthy study commissioned by GPL and the City of Guelph
is the first in a ten-step process to get the library “shovel ready” to build a
new Main Library in downtown Guelph. The report defines the scope and vision
for the new Main Library and includes the projected space requirements and
functional elements that will be used by the architects to design the 90,000
square foot facility to serve the community for the next 50 years.
Through a series of four community workshops lead by the
effervescent Nester Bottino, AIA, of ForeSite
Facility Planners, the BPFP report:
- ·
Defined the role of the new Main Library in the
Guelph community.
- ·
Defined the space requirements and adjacency
plans.
- ·
Defined site plans and building massing.
- ·
Reviewed guidelines for a LEED Silver
Certification facility.
- ·
Reviewed Guelph’s architectural heritage and
development plans.
- ·
Estimated costs to build the facility within the
next five years.
- ·
Defined a ten-step process to be “shovel ready.”
I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical when we embarked
on this planning process. However, a year later, I am confident that the
efforts put into this first step will put us in an excellent position to
develop a totally new and innovative building model that leverages a
partnership between the library and the community.
With this first step completed, the GPL Board now is working
with the city to develop the business plan and find a building partner who will
build the facility. The board also is planning a series of national and local
fundraising projects to furnish and equip the new Main Library.
Currently, the most often asked questions include:
When will we have a
new Main Library in downtown Guelph?
It all depends on how quickly we can find a building
partner. We know it will take at least one year to amass the land and permits,
another year to design the building, and two years actually to build it. So,
the earliest we expect to open the doors is sometime between the fall of 2017
and the summer of 2019.
Will there be an
auditorium and meeting rooms in the new library?
Yes. There are plans for a 300-seat auditorium with a
presentation stage and a 150-seat meeting room that can be subdivided into
three 50-seat meeting rooms. There will also be individual and group study
spaces for quiet and not-so-quiet study, as well as desk chairs, comfy “living
room” seats, young adult seating, and chairs for children. 210 seats in total!
What will the new library look like?
The new Main Library has not been designed yet. However, we
know it is a building that has to be open and flexible, because as the needs of
the community change, the library needs to change with them. The new library needs
to fit into the landscape of downtown Guelph. It will be environmentally
responsible and have room for scooters and strollers. It has to be a “high
performing” LEED building that makes use
of technology and innovative environmental applications The new Main Library
will be warm and inviting; it will feature local art and highlight the rich
local history of Guelph.
Where will the new
library be located?
It will be on a large tract of land between Wyndham and
Baker Street, just north of the old post office. The new library will be the
cornerstone of an innovative and environmentally responsible downtown
development that will include a combination of condos or a hotel, retail space,
recreational facilities, restaurants, and green space.
How can the community be involved?
The GPL Fundraising Committee is just getting started. Over
the next six months, they will be developing plans to raise 10 million dollars
to equip and furnish the new library. GPL can now issue tax receipts for
donations and is looking for the founding donors to kick off the five
fundraising campaigns.
Building a public
library in 2012 is a long and tedious process, but the Guelph Public Library
Board and staff are confident that with careful planning, community
consultation, wise decision making, and support of the community, we are on the
path to opening a new Main Library in downtown Guelph.
Kitty Pope
kpope@library.guelph.on.ca
