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lrt's friend
Jun 10, 2009, 2:15 PM
It has been announced that the new central library will be located on the site of the Technical High School.

To me, this was the logical location. Bravo!

rocketphish
Jun 10, 2009, 2:23 PM
It has been announced that the new central library will be located on the site of the Technical High School.

To me, this was the logical location. Bravo!

No, actually it is one block to the East. The chosen site is bounded by Bay, Albert, Lyon and Slater streets.

see:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=4298128#post4298128

lrt's friend
Jun 10, 2009, 2:48 PM
My apologies. They mentioned both the block and the school and I must have misheard the exact details.

Kitchissippi
Jun 10, 2009, 3:35 PM
Great location, close to the National Library and Archives, and especially when combined with the downtown tunnel plan. Since it is close to the portal, the station here would probably be not as deep as others. I hope we get some wild architecture here, something that really contrasts with the block-sized glass box complexes east of Lyon. It would be nice to have something as successful as the downtown Vancouver Public Library

jitterbug
Jun 10, 2009, 7:43 PM
It would be nice to have something as successful as the downtown Vancouver Public Library

We can only aspire to the landmark that is Vancouver's Public Library. It is indeed a tourist attraction simply for its architecture.

However, let's not overstate the importance of a library. In Vancouver, it doesn't appear to have transformed its surrounding neighbourhood, although I admit I don't know what the area was like before the library was built.

The chosen location is about as good as it gets for Ottawa and this is a rare good news item. Let's see how long it will take to get a shovel in the ground and what the result will be. Stay tuned.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Jun 10, 2009, 8:24 PM
While it's a good choice of a location for the new Central Library, I would've preferred they tear down the Lorne Building and built the new Library there. It's in the heart of downtown, highly visible from many angles, excellent access to transit and right across from Confederation Park.

AuxTown
Jun 10, 2009, 10:29 PM
From www.cfra.com

New Main Libarary Branch to Take Up City Block
Daniel Proussalidis with Stephanie Kinsella
Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Ottawa's new main library branch will be built on a large plot bounded by Albert, Bay, Slater and Lyon -- across the street from the Ottawa Technical High School.

Councillors unveiled the new location Wednesday morning.

The first step toward construction will be securing the $26-million property.


Let's hope they do something to spruce up that ugly field beside the Technical High School. It has potential to be a great urban park whereas currently it's just a place for dogs to take a shit and graffiti artists to graffiti. There's so many people living in that immediate area that a nice park with a few trees, benches, and maybe even a small pond or fountain would be used frequently for sure.

rocketphish
Jun 10, 2009, 11:00 PM
UPDATE: City to budget $26M for downtown library land acquisition
By Peter Kovessy, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Wed, Jun 10, 2009 12:00 PM EST

The city expects to be able purchase seven properties in the city block bounded by Albert, Lyon, Bay and Slater streets for $26 million for the future home of a 345,000-square-foot central library.

However, in a report being tabled at next week's corporate services committee meeting, city staff noted the municipality would have the right to expropriate the properties should negotiations fail.

The block has a total area of 0.74 hectares, or approximately 79,500 square feet, and features two historic apartment buildings with a total of 28 units, a surface parking lot, and a development site, retail bank and headquarters building owned by the Civil Service Co-Operative Credit Society Ltd., now Alterna Savings.

The specific properties are:

* 156-160 Lyon St., owned by Benjamin Feinstein. Land registry records show the property has been held by members of the Feinstein family since at least the late 1950s;

* 388 Albert St., owned Irene and Bruno Kaczmarek, who have held part of the property since at least 1965, according to land registry records;

* The apartments at 408 and 414 Albert St., owned by 1470475 Ontario Inc. and operated by Fleming Property Management, whose website says the lowrises date back to the 1930s;

* The Civil Service Co-operative Credit Society Ltd. land at 400 Albert St., which has been held by the co-op since at least the mid-1960s.

Kimberley Ney, Alterna's senior vice-president of marketing and communications, says the company was only recently notified of the city's intentions.

"This news just came to us late last week that the city would be looking at our property, so we are getting the information about the same time you are," she said.

"It is our intention to cooperate with the city. We understand it is a prestigious piece of real estate downtown ... (and) we are willing to talk to the city about it."

Ms. Ney said there are approximately 250 Alterna employees working at the site. She said a new retail branch would be located downtown, but said it is possible the head office could move outside the core.

While Ms. Ney said Alterna first heard of the city's plans last week, municipal officials had actually selected the site a year ago, Pamela Sweet, chair of the library facilities planning committee, told reporters at a Wednesday morning press conference.

However, the library board decided it needed more time to research its requirements, such as how much space would be needed for a children's area or computer space to serve a city the size of Ottawa.

While these requirements are now finalized, detailed design plans for the new building have yet to be drafted and officials said contracts for architectural services and site work are likely more than a year away.

Ms. Sweet said the building is likely to be between four and six storeys and could include retail space, and possibly even offices and residential units. The new library is planned to sit atop an LRT station and provide access to the underground rail line. The staff report said it will be built to a LEED Gold rating, which measures sustainability and environmental standards.

After the property is purchased, the city will decide on a procurement vehicle for construction, said Ms. Sweet, adding all options, from a design competition to a more traditional public-private partnership, will be considered.

Beyond the $26 million for land acquisitions, the city does not know what the cost of the new library will be, said Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder, who also chairs the library board.

A previous long-range municipal budget forecast called for $181.5 million between 2012 and 2018 to be allocated to replace the main library, according to a staff report.

Acting mayor Michel Bellemare called the process to build the new library "a city building exercise."

Indeed, the ability to use the new library to contribute to city planning initiatives and develop the downtown was one of the criteria used to select the site, along with its character, contextual suitability, capacity and lack of physical, legal or operational encumbrances.

The Lyon/Slater/Bay/Albert location scored higher than both the fields and building of the old Ottawa Technical High School, as well as the Shamrock surface parking lot at Metcalfe and Nepean streets and the Lorne Building on Elgin Street, which has a large adjacent development site owned by Public Works.

Several existing buildings were also considered, but were determined functionally unsuitable for a central library.

Ms. Sweet said the property housing the current main library and Metcalfe Street and Laurier Avenue is likely to eventually be sold for between $19 million and $20 million.

She added that it will likely be five years before ground is broken for the new library, which she hopes could open its doors as soon as 2015.

http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/294685035984900.php

waterloowarrior
Jun 10, 2009, 11:04 PM
staff report
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2009/06-16/03%20-%20ACS2009-CMR-OCM-0005%20-%20LIBRARY.htm

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2009/06-16/03%20-%20ACS2009-CMR-OCM-0005%20-%20LIBRARY_files/image002.gif

rocketphish
Jun 10, 2009, 11:29 PM
...and in 3D

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3615427702_547f1f15ab_o_d.jpg

Davis137
Jun 11, 2009, 1:05 AM
Awesome location! Great to see the city starting to make some good decisons for a change...

AuxTown
Jun 11, 2009, 1:06 AM
....eagerly awaiting renderings....

rodionx
Jun 11, 2009, 2:23 AM
From www.cfra.com
Let's hope they do something to spruce up that ugly field beside the Technical High School. It has potential to be a great urban park whereas currently it's just a place for dogs to take a shit and graffiti artists to graffiti. There's so many people living in that immediate area that a nice park with a few trees, benches, and maybe even a small pond or fountain would be used frequently for sure.

The Escarpment District Plan shows residential towers on the eastern edge of the field, as well as a little park. Hopefully, this decision will get things moving.

waterloowarrior
Jun 11, 2009, 2:53 AM
Councillors laud proposed library site
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Councillors+laud+proposed+library+site/1683261/story.html
Harder to begin job of gathering support for project

BY PATRICK DARE, THE OTTAWA CITIZENJUNE 10, 2009 10:39 PM


OTTAWA-Councillors lined up to express their enthusiasm for a new central library on Wednesday as Councillor Jan Harder began the delicate task of winning political support at three government levels for what could be a very costly city project.

Acting-Mayor Michel Bellemare led the group with praise for the project, as the library board officially announced the proposed site for a building that is to be at least 300,000 square feet.

Councillor Maria McRae, chairwoman of council’s transportation committee, lauded the site — bounded by Albert, Slater, Bay and Lyon streets — for its accessibility. Councillor Alex Cullen, chairman of the transit committee, said it was ideally suited as it is on the doorstep of the transitway and the city’s future underground rail station at the west end of downtown. Councillor Peter Hume, chairman of the planning committee, said it is “what every city hopes and dreams for.”

On the weekend, Harder called mayor Larry O’Brien — who is on leave from duty during his influence peddling trial — and informed him of the move to secure a site. She says he is on board “150 per cent” with the project.

The library will next week ask city councillors at committee to approve the site, selected from a shortlist of five, and a $26-million acquisition budget for the land. If approved, at committee and then city council the following week, the city would seek a deal with the CS Co-op, which owns most of the land, and other smaller owners.

The library would likely be a building of about six storeys, but there would be lots of room in the block of land to also build offices, stores and apartment housing.

Councillor Diane Deans — who spent many years toiling to get a new library built in Greenboro that was one-tenth the size of the proposed downtown library — said Harder and her library board are starting off their drive with good support on city council. She said the land purchase would signal to the federal and provincial governments that the city is serious and committed to the project.

But Deans noted that the process for such a major cultural building project will be long and complex.

Yasir Naqvi, the Liberal MPP for Ottawa Centre, attended Wednesday’s announcement and said he was excited by news of the project. But he was careful to say nothing about potential provincial government support, noting that current federal-provincial funding for Ottawa is mainly focused on transportation projects.

Indeed, Harder herself noted Wednesday that the need to replace the small, dysfunctional central library at Metcalfe Street and Laurier Avenue has occupied library board members for years.

But she believes the difference now is that residents of Ottawa and city councillors, including her as an amalgamation skeptic who often resisted big ideas in the early going, have moved beyond the parochialism of the years just after the 2001 municipal amalgamation.

She says they are willing to commit to a project that will bring a great deal of civic pride to the city.

One thing that’s unknown is how much of their money Ottawa citizens will be prepared to spend on this downtown landmark, through taxes or donations.

The library has high hopes for its fundraising foundation. The foundation recently started to bring in funds, securing an endowment of about $700,000 last year and one of about $300,000 this year.

Harder says city councillors, library staff and citizens realized how treasured library services are in Ottawa when branch shutdowns were proposed as budget cutbacks and community uproars ensued.

Harder contends that the new city library service — which gave suburban and rural residents convenient access to a large library collection for the first time — has been one of the successes of amalgamation.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Kitchissippi
Jun 11, 2009, 3:32 PM
I hope they do an international design competition and get a really bold concept for a gem of a building. Libraries and museums are probably the most coveted projects for architects, something in their portfolio that gets a lot of exposure. Since this building is going to take up an entire block, it needs to have presence and incorporate public gathering space both inside and out.

Something done right here will really pull the centre of gravity of downtown activity westward and I am crossing my fingers for something that will put us on the architecture map.

Mille Sabords
Jun 11, 2009, 4:24 PM
I hope they do an international design competition and get a really bold concept for a gem of a building. Libraries and museums are probably the most coveted projects for architects, something in their portfolio that gets a lot of exposure. Since this building is going to take up an entire block, it needs to have presence and incorporate public gathering space both inside and out.

Something done right here will really pull the centre of gravity of downtown activity westward and I am crossing my fingers for something that will put us on the architecture map.

Yes, yes and yes. I echo all of that. Smart move on picking this location. Things are really getting serious in Ottawa, at last.

YOWetal
Jun 11, 2009, 4:29 PM
Awesome location! Great to see the city starting to make some good decisons for a change...

Is the city not broke already?

Kitchissippi
Jun 11, 2009, 4:43 PM
Is the city not broke already?

The city is broke more because of bad decisions made to be cheap but cost more to re-do or maintain later.

bikegypsy
Jun 11, 2009, 6:36 PM
Best thing to happen downtown Ottawa in 20 years. If we ignore federal buildings, this is the best thing ever in the actual core of the city center. It will help develop the western part of the core, which is presently sad, and will bring all sorts of little businesses like coffee shops and restaurants to the area. Great move and great forward thinking.
We need great contemporary design for this. Ottawa is growing up, at last.

AuxTown
Jun 11, 2009, 7:07 PM
This type of development should really spur things along in Lebreton. The west end of downtown is slowly turning from vision to reality. We are finally seeing some daring and interesting visions come true in this city (i.e. Congress Centre, Lebreton, Library, Lansdowne, U of O gateway towers, LRT :fingerscrossed:). It's a good time to be a fan of urban planning, architecture, and 'skyscrapers'.

jcollins
Jun 11, 2009, 7:47 PM
This library should be great if done right!! I'd love to see the park thats nearly across Slater from it be developed a bit more, into some more usable green space. Im not exactly sure what, but a bit more than an empty field.

harls
Jun 11, 2009, 7:56 PM
Will we actually get a skyscraper out of this development, or no? They talk about 'office space' but I'm thinking it won't be that tall, even though this area is where a tall-ish development could be slipped in without much fuss (I would imagine?)

At the very least, it should be a striking building. I'll take that over height, any day.

Dado
Jun 11, 2009, 9:19 PM
The selection of this site should strengthen Richard Eade's case for running the LRT tunnel initially under Slater from LeBreton Flats (it would be pretty much a straight line from the prospective station location just south of the current one) and then cross under this site with a station to head to an alignment further north. The station could be right under the Library - no need to worry about digging up the streets or the difficulties of mining stations out from below or anything like that. Since the station could be done by cut-and-cover (or rather, not cover) without concern of massive disruption, the tunnel could also be shallower here. What better opportunity for an integrated development than to have something like a central library go in right on top of a transit station?

There are synergies here, just on the construction side: the site has to be excavated anyway for the Library so before long it would be deep enough for the station. The mezzanine level could have a shared use of some sort with the Library. And then there's the savings from not having to mine a station out from below - it's absolutely absurd that we're going to mine out the Downtown West Station when there is a City facility going in right next to it!

Now why is it that this Library site was announced *after* Council made its decision on the tunnel alignment? It's like we're incapable of planning outside of silos.

rocketphish
Jun 11, 2009, 10:02 PM
Well, to get the design ball rolling, here are some ideas for you. The American Institute of Architects recently announced the eight recipients for the 2009 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards:

http://www.otto-otto.com/2009/03/2009-aiaala-library-building-awards

While some of these are very bold, I think that the Minneapolis Central Library represents about the correct mix of wow-factor and corporate Ottawa architecture. Having seen it in person, I can say that it is actually pretty impressive, with the roof projections at both ends of the building.

waterloowarrior
Jun 11, 2009, 10:18 PM
Library site selection catches current landowners by surprise
By Peter Kovessy, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Thu, Jun 11, 2009 12:00 PM EST
http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/294692825190533.php

Although city officials selected the site for a new central library a year ago, two of the affected landowners said they first learned they will be forced to part with their property in the hours following Wednesday morning's official announcement.

The largest affected landowner in the city block bounded by Slater, Lyon, Bay and Albert streets, Alterna Savings, had a bit more notice and was notified late last week, company officials said.

While the city has emphasized it wants to negotiate a purchase of the properties, officials have made it clear the municipality retains the right to expropriate the land if necessary.

Following a press conference Wednesday morning, Pamela Sweet, the chairperson of the library facilities and planning committee, said the site had actually been chosen a year ago, but that library officials needed to gather more information on their space requirements before making a public announcement.

Officials apparently kept the site's selection a well-guarded secret.

"I just got wind of it (Wednesday) morning ... I wasn't aware that that was one of the sites," said Michael Fleming, of Fleming Property Management, which owns a pair of 14-unit apartment buildings on Albert Street that the company said date back to the 1930s.

"We've had them for a long time. They are really quite an urban attraction to me, they are in a nice location ... (This) is a shock to me. No one contacted me directly," he added, declining further comment until he had more information on the city's plans.

Similarly, Irene Kaczmarek, whose family has owned a three-storey rental property that currently featuring a street-level restaurant for more than 40 years, said she only learned about the situation Wednesday night.

"I am sort of surprised. I don't know how to react ... I haven't had time to think about it yet. Even if I have time to think about it, what can I do?"

Even though the announcement caught Ms. Kaczmarek off guard, she said knew someone was eventually going to want to redevelop the property, given the limited amount of available land in the downtown core.

Kimberley Ney, Alterna's senior vice-president of marketing and communications, told OBJ Wednesday the company was notified by the city late last week that is eyeing the property, still commonly known by its former name, Civil Service Co-operative Credit Society Ltd. She said it was Alterna's intention "to co-operate with the city" and that the company is "willing to talk" about selling the property.

A city report said if the company cannot be accommodated on the redeveloped site, the municipality intends to "assist in any relocation requirements."

Dave Donaldson, the city's manager of realty initiatives and development, said the nature of the "landmark" library project meant his department had to take a different approach than normal to reaching out to the affected landowners.

Typically, the realty department would be given instructions at an in-camera meeting to move forward with an acquisition and contact the landowners in question. They would then either report back at an in-camera meeting or submit comments for a public report, he said.

However, Mr. Donaldson the central library project was a unique situation, not only because of its size and significance, but because it involved the library board making a request to the city's corporate services committee to give city staff permission to begin the acquisition process.

"It was important to keep this as confidential as possible until the report was finalized (and) was on the agenda," he said, adding he was directed not to approach the landowners until the report was on the verge of being made public.

Mr. Donaldson said the city's process to acquire the library site actually involves a greater amount of information being made public in the early stages of the project.

"In this particular case ... the greater public knows in a very transparent fashion what the library board and the city are trying to do," he said.

"The intention is to negotiate in a very positive fashion with the landowners. ... We are trying to negotiate so there is a win-win for everybody."

harls
Jun 11, 2009, 11:16 PM
Pamela Sweet is the most media friendly name I've ever heard of..

Mille Sabords
Jun 12, 2009, 1:39 AM
Well, to get the design ball rolling, here are some ideas for you. The American Institute of Architects recently announced the eight recipients for the 2009 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards:

http://www.otto-otto.com/2009/03/2009-aiaala-library-building-awards

While some of these are very bold, I think that the Minneapolis Central Library represents about the correct mix of wow-factor and corporate Ottawa architecture. Having seen it in person, I can say that it is actually pretty impressive, with the roof projections at both ends of the building.

I love the Minneapolis Central Library. Thanks for that link!

k2p
Jun 12, 2009, 4:23 AM
The city should offer up some vacant land in the core for Alterna, or help it buy a parking lot in Centretown. Would be a shame to see employees leave the core to make way for the library when this could be a twofer. Get a new library, and get another Telus-style office building to keep downtown rejuvenating.

AuxTown
Jun 12, 2009, 4:53 AM
The city should offer up some vacant land in the core for Alterna, or help it buy a parking lot in Centretown. Would be a shame to see employees leave the core to make way for the library when this could be a twofer. Get a new library, and get another Telus-style office building to keep downtown rejuvenating.

There are a number of buildings downtown with empty street level spaces and plenty of towers with vacant floors. It won't be hard to find a new place for Alterna, but the question is whether or not they will choose to move out to the 'burbs in search of cheaper rent.

Kitchissippi
Jun 12, 2009, 10:21 AM
The city should offer up some vacant land in the core for Alterna, or help it buy a parking lot in Centretown. Would be a shame to see employees leave the core to make way for the library when this could be a twofer. Get a new library, and get another Telus-style office building to keep downtown rejuvenating.

Or they could just design in some space for Alterna within the new library building. It's not a bad fit. Maybe Alterna could provide the financing for the construction?

drawarc
Jun 12, 2009, 10:48 AM
I know that in the early-mid 90's, a 3 tower mixed use development was proposed for this site ranging from 12 to 20? floors, it was never built though...I remember reading an article about it, there were even suggestions a grocery store possibly to anchor it. Perhaps there will be buildings of similar height with the library proposal?

AuxTown
Jun 12, 2009, 1:59 PM
There are definately people at the city who have visions for this area and the visions involve some highrise architecture as seen by their escarpment plan. See anything resembling a library in those renderings?

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/927/dsc022271.jpg

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4546/dsc022291.jpg

rakerman
Jun 12, 2009, 2:59 PM
downtown location for new central Ottawa Public Library? (http://scilib.typepad.com/science_library_pad/2009/06/downtown-location-new-ottawa-public-library.html)

Hopefully they will design it so that we will get some pedestrian traffic walking around this area - if they can integrate the nearby greenspace and get some cafes going, it would really improve this part of the city.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Jun 12, 2009, 5:23 PM
There are definately people at the city who have visions for this area and the visions involve some highrise architecture as seen by their escarpment plan. See anything resembling a library in those renderings?



Point being?

The Technical High School plans don't affect the Library since it's on a different block but they will be clsoe.

Proof Sheet
Jun 12, 2009, 6:40 PM
Pamela Sweet is the most media friendly name I've ever heard of..

Pamela Sweet is a former Planning Dep't manager (with the RMOC) and now in the private sector in a consulting role.

If those stories about affected landowners are true about lack of notice about the City wanting the land, the City need to improve their consultation process. They can't just ride roughshod over valid businesses.

AuxTown
Jun 12, 2009, 7:00 PM
Point being?

The Technical High School plans don't affect the Library since it's on a different block but they will be clsoe.

That was exactly my point. I was just asking what the rendering shows on the Central Library site as I have trouble figuring out which block is the one slated for the development. An already dense urban neighbourhood about to get more dense :tup:.

Kitchissippi
Jun 12, 2009, 8:10 PM
I'd like to see the site completely surrounded by tall buildings on every side but the library itself low and object-like and loose on the block, kinda like a jewel in a box. The Roy Thompson Hall in TO is a bit like this, or the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Maybe the air rights for this block could be sold to surrounding developers and allow them to build beyond the current height limits? That way, we get funding, and a more interesting skyline :tup:

Jamaican-Phoenix
Jun 14, 2009, 4:59 AM
That was exactly my point. I was just asking what the rendering shows on the Central Library site as I have trouble figuring out which block is the one slated for the development. An already dense urban neighbourhood about to get more dense :tup:.

Ah, I see. I was confused as to what exactly you were trying to say. :haha:

waterloowarrior
Jun 16, 2009, 2:46 AM
more details available here
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/library/2009/06-15/090615_Agenda_Eng.htm

or pdfs
http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/archive/board/2009/090615/index_e.html

It is some time in the near future. You are walking along a street in downtown Ottawa, on your way to visit the newly built Central Library. The day is clear and bright, and there’s a spring in your step. There’s been a lot of buzz since the library opened – buzz about the beautiful new urban landmark for Ottawa, buzz too about how it has already become a gathering place, a focal point in the downtown core.

You haven’t been to the new library yet, and you eagerly anticipate this voyage of discovery. You want to find out about the building – what it contains, how it works. You could have come by car and parked in the library’s underground lot. You could have come by bicycle, too, and parked in the library’s bike parking zone. Or you could have come by transit. But you are approaching on foot, the way most people will. After all, the new library is in the heart of downtown – an area full of pedestrian traffic, especially in the busy daytime office hours.

You round a corner – and there it is. The buzz was right; it is indeed a beautiful building, solid and impressive, yet light, open and inviting. You are surprised by how well you can see the building. It is set back from the street, separated from the traffic and the sidewalk by a spacious urban plaza. This distance makes it easier for you to take it all in. The plaza also gives the library presence. You realize that this is a building designed to be noticed – and admired.
The exterior plaza in front of the building is full of people. A few public servants on break are reading in the shade of a couple of trees. Over in one corner, a busker is entertaining a small group with juggling tricks. You see a group of seniors about to walk in, and a high-energy group of school-children leaving with backpacks full of books.

You see a pond in the plaza and recall hearing that in winter, it will become a skating rink. You see sculptures – one of them a dynamic work of art moving in the wind – and imagine how dramatic the plaza would look at night, all lit up. You immediately get the feeling that this plaza is a space that calls out to people, that makes them want to linger.

You take a quick glance up. The building before you has two independent but linked sections: Further back from the street is a taller building. The library has eight levels, including the ground floor. Directly on the plaza is a lower building of only four stories. Both buildings have generous windows and terraces that make them seem open and as inviting as the plaza. You can’t see them from here, but there are also three levels below grade, and an atrium and concourse linking the four-storey front building with the eight-storey main building. You stride across the exterior plaza toward the entrance. Your tour is about to begin.

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/library/2009/06-15/090615_P1_Appendix%202_Eng_files/image005.gif

drawarc
Jun 16, 2009, 3:43 AM
More info on New Central Library from 580 CFRA:

http://www.cfra.com/?cat=1&nid=65919

Central Library Vision Includes 11-storey Building
Josh Pringle
Monday, June 15, 2009

The Ottawa Public Library Board's vision for the new main library is a grand 11 storey structure at the western edge of the downtown.

Public consultations on the proposed facility kicked off with the presentation of a "functional program" to determine the needs of a new library.

The plan was developed over the last three years with Resource Planning Group.

It includes an outdoor plaza, a link to the proposed downtown transit tunnel and three underground levels.

There are also plans for 700-thousand collection items to be housed in the building, an 11-hundred seat auditorium and 800 technological stations.

The Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee approved a plan to spend $26 million for the land bounded by Albert, Bay, Lyon and Slater Streets.

The Ottawa Public Library announced last week it has chosen the site at the western edge of downtown Ottawa as the new location for the 300-thousand square foot facility.

rocketphish
Jun 16, 2009, 1:10 PM
Library must be more than fount of knowledge

By Randall Denley, The Ottawa Citizen, June 16, 2009 8:56 AM

OTTAWA — City councillors were quick to recommend the acquisition of a site for a new downtown library Monday. It's difficult to say whether the "yes" on buying the $26-million site reflects well-thought-out enthusiasm for a new library or a stumble ahead without thinking.

The site is a great one, given that it will be located at the new rail transit line's west downtown station and requires little demolition before building. Still, there is no point in owning it unless the city actually intends to build a new library.

Councillors should ultimately support an improved downtown library, but not before asking a lot of questions about the proposal the library board is championing. Library fans support the idea of a new building downtown with cult-like enthusiasm. One would think that a new library was a portal to heaven or, at the very least, something that would change everyone's life.

Library staff say the building will boost daily attendance at the downtown library from the current 3,500 to 10,000. That's good, but it's still just a little more than one per cent of the population, and many of those visitors will be frequent fliers.

The new central library will do little or nothing for library users who rely on the extensive branch system. A central library is critical to the functioning of the branches, but the library board's tentative plan is for a building four times as large as the existing building.

At 350,000 square feet and an estimated cost of $181 million, the proposal is the library's version of a dream home. Library board vice-chair Pamela Sweet acknowledges that this is the "nice to have" plan. Councillors have to determine what Ottawa really needs.

It's a curious paradox of the information age that monumental downtown libraries are all the rage when it has never been easier to acquire information in your own home. That's not to say the library doesn't add value through the knowledge of its staff and the ability to acquire expensive and obscure texts, but the modern library is about much more than books and staff knowledge. Libraries have expanded their services to teach computer skills, languages and résumé writing and offer support for small businesses. Teens are invited in to play video games on library computers.

A skeptic would say that the public library has expanded away from its core businesses in an effort to keep attendance and budgets up. When one's services are perceived to be free, it's not difficult to generate demand. When the library asks for far more space to carry on its diverse services, it is perhaps time for difficult questions about what the library really should be doing.

Don't expect many, though. If the past is a guide, most people in Ottawa have little enthusiasm for critical thinking about the role of a library in the 21st century.

One of the things councillors should ask is whether the plan maximizes the expensive site the city will likely soon acquire. The new library takes up almost all the ground-level space on the site, and is likely to rise in towers of four and eight storeys.

The plan does include about 18,000 square feet for a "heritage gateway," which is city-bureaucrat-speak for a museum. Hallelujah. This city is long overdue for a reasonable public space to tell its interesting story. There are city museums that tell bits and pieces of it, here and there, but the history of our city has never gotten its due.

With its base of public support and its own board and budget, the library is best positioned to fight to the head of the line, but it is not the only cultural need Ottawa has. It looks as if plans to build a concert hall across from City Hall will fall through because the condo building it was part of has not gone ahead. That doesn't take away the need for a mid-sized hall for community groups. The city also needs an art gallery worthy of its impressive municipal collection.

There have been preliminary talks about accommodating the concert hall as part of the library, although the consultant the library has retained isn't convinced it is practical. The building would have broader appeal and better value if it accommodated one or both of those other uses. Councillors should consider paring back the library part of the plan to make this more of a cultural complex.

The library is an expensive project, although it will prove affordable if put in the context of long-term capital spending. Let's just make sure we get maximum value from the plan. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, but that doesn't mean we need an expensive monument to it.

Contact Randall Denley at 613-596-3756 or by e-mail,

rdenley@thecitizen.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/News/Library+must+more+than+fount+knowledge/1700141/story.html

Richard Eade
Jun 16, 2009, 1:27 PM
The description of my arrival at the Library sounded vaguely like arriving at the Centre Pointe Library - complete with pond that becomes a rink. It is about time people started to plan things in Ottawa the way other places plan.

Now, does the new 1,100 seat auditorium work as a new CONCERT HALL? Will it work for community group shows? Are there several meeting rooms? Can they be re-configured easily (joined and divided)? Are there separate, outside accesses to the meeting rooms and auditorium so they can be used outside of library hours?

What other functions can easily be put into the design? Will there be a roof-top garden on the tower for a view while reading? Will the new OTTAWA ROOM have a view of something appropriate? Could the Ottawa Archives not have been included in this building?

http://REade.fileave.com/Library/Library-Functional.jpg

I notice that there is only one level of parking. Why not make this a 5 or 7 level parking structure and make it really easy for people from the west and south to leave their cars here and take a free subway or walk into the core? Let's make a reasonably priced parking area here and re-develop all of those surface lots downtown. We can even add a scrubber on the garage exhaust to clean the air. Again, make the subway FREE under the core to encourage people to travel in the core, including to the new library.

Why is the Transit Corridor only 10m down? By this pont, the tunnel is supposed to be about 25m down.

http://REade.fileave.com/Downtown/Albert-Dual.jpg
Yes, it is an older picture, but the tunnel profile will be very close for that section - alas, nothing has changed in the west end.

Why, if the plan is to have the tunnel run under Albert is there a Transit Corridor under the building at all? Is this the mezzanine level? If so, then it doesn't need to go the entire building length.

This building has HUGE potential if they could tear down the silos of thought and include design from a number of aspects.

Richard Eade
Jun 16, 2009, 1:41 PM
Does anyone else find it interesting that spending $181M on eleven stories of building, which includes an integrated underground transit station is too expensive; but it is fine to bury the Baseline Transitway and build a small station for $207M? Who thinks the Library (or preferably Municipal Complex) will receive a LOT more debate than the 10 minutes that the Baseline Station plan got at Committee?

lrt's friend
Jun 16, 2009, 4:22 PM
When I heard that an auditorium was to be included, I also immediately thought of the Concert Hall. What is happening to the money that was donated towards that project? Can we not combine efforts and make this auditorium also serve as a concert hall? It could potentially make the central library even a more exciting people place.

I have seen a comment before (perhaps here) that the depth of the downtown tunnel is going to make it of limited viability to have it serve as a free fare zone. For many, it will be faster to simply walk, especially with the limited number of downtown stations. A free fare zone such as used in Calgary depends on it being at street level to work well. This brings back the argument that surface LRT would be useful even if the tunnel is built. Hmmm, wouldn't it have been almost ready for service by now?

I had also thought of integrating the Central Library with the Ottawa Archives. Both are used for research and it would have been nice to have the Archives centrally located. I am not sure how viable this would be, since the Archives requires special climate controlled storage and a lot of records that are rarely accessed. This may be the reason why a separate building is being built. At least the archives are being located next to a rapid transit station although there is no direct rapid transit from my part of the city, at least not for decades.

I don't think it is a good idea to have underground parking that is priced below market value. This will just encourage downtown workers to park there first and fill up the garage before library is open on weekdays. I wouldn't mind free parking in the evening and on weekends, however.

I do like the idea of a roof top garden, maybe partly indoors and partly outdoors for reading and relaxing. I wouldn't mind having a place that you can get a meal or a coffee while visiting the library, perhaps as part of the roof top garden. You could spend the whole day there without having to leave the building.

Lastly, I would rather spend $180M on a fabulous downtown library than on a Baseline tunnel. Intensification at Baseline should not cost taxpayers $200M+. I know Baseline station will cost significant money but I keep thinking that we should consider Baseline station as a temporary terminus for LRT and we should be thinking ahead about further extensions.

rocketphish
Jun 20, 2009, 2:08 PM
Tenants' reactions mixed over plans for new library

By Patrick Dare, The Ottawa Citizen, June 20, 2009

The march of development downtown for a new Ottawa central library may be inevitable, but it will come at a cost for two old apartment buildings, a bank with deep roots in the community and a funky bakery-restaurant.

Some of the people who live and do business on the block identified as the favoured home of a new library wonder why the city doesn't eye the nearby Ottawa Technical High School site instead. Others are resigned to a deal that will force them to make way for a new landmark.

The city and its library board have identified the small block bounded by Albert, Bay, Lyon and Slater streets as the site of a new central library of 300,000 square feet or more. The proposed development would also include offices, stores at street level and residential development. A city committee unanimously endorsed the $26-million property acquisition for the project and council is to make a final decision on Wednesday. The site is described as the perfect western gateway to Ottawa's downtown, linking LeBreton Flats with the business core, and is ideally situated on the current transitway and a future subway line.

Currently, a parking lot, an old house, a large low-rise office building and two apartment buildings are on the block.

Megan O'Connor, one of the managers at the Scone Witch restaurant -- which bakes fresh scones and serves them with an array of preserves and drinks as good music plays -- says the business's location in an old house along the busy transitway has been "weird but perfect." She says guests from nearby hotels patronize the restaurant, as do office workers and downtown residents. "It worries me to think of moving. My biggest concern is disappointing the customers," she says. "We have a lot of regulars."

The owner of the Scone Witch, Heather Matthews, says the city's news comes after a difficult period for the business, which has been on Albert Street for five years. Ottawa's transit workers were on strike this winter for 53 days, something that cost Matthews about $50,000 and "nearly did us in."

While she likes the Albert Street location and she'd prefer not to move, she would like to get an opportunity to run a restaurant in the new library development if the project does go ahead.

Next door, at one of the two apartment buildings on the block, Desmond Kavanagh says the dream of a big-city library will have a large impact on his life. He first lived in the three-storey brick apartment building in 1962 with his parents. When they were gone, he stayed on in the apartment.

He is quick to admit rent control has protected him over the years, and that he's paying much less than his more recent neighbours. But he says the two buildings owned by Michael Fleming should count for something, when city officials are always talking about the need for affordable housing. He wishes the city had focused on the Ottawa Technical High School site next door, which is already in public hands and also received top marks in the site evaluation.

Karen Rowan, property manager at Fleming Property Management, says she and Fleming were in "total shock" over the library-site announcement. She said there are 28 apartments in the two red-brick buildings, about half of which have been occupied by the same people for more than 20 years. Fleming bought the buildings in 1998.

On Friday, a work crew was doing parging work on the foundation walls of the buildings, which were built in the 1930s. Rowan says brickwork has recently been repointed and hallways have been renovated. The apartments, in the middle range of the rental market, feature hardwood floors, French doors and fireplace mantles. Rowan says it "breaks my heart" to think of the retired tenants, living on fixed incomes, losing their homes and the sturdy brick buildings being torn down for the library project.

The biggest property owner on the block is Alterna Savings, formerly the Civil Service Co-op, which is generally supportive of the city's project. John Lahey, president of Alterna, says his organization got a call a few days before the site selection news was made public. But he says there's been nothing official.

"Our intention is to co-operate," says Lahey. "It would be a good place for the library."

There has been some discussion at the city about a possible partnership with landowners, but Lahey says that wouldn't be practical during a long construction period, since Alterna operates both its head office and a busy branch out of the location.

Irene Kaczmarek, owner of the house that holds the Scone Witch, says she will "go with the crowd" on the block and sell to the city if that's what is wanted. She has owned the old house for 45 years, but is ready to make way for what could be "a beautiful block" in the centre of the city.

"Nothing lasts forever," says Kaczmarek. "Life changes. You sort of go with the flow."

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Business/Tenants+reactions+mixed+over+plans+library/1716151/story.html

eternallyme
Jun 20, 2009, 6:12 PM
When I heard that an auditorium was to be included, I also immediately thought of the Concert Hall. What is happening to the money that was donated towards that project? Can we not combine efforts and make this auditorium also serve as a concert hall? It could potentially make the central library even a more exciting people place.

I have seen a comment before (perhaps here) that the depth of the downtown tunnel is going to make it of limited viability to have it serve as a free fare zone. For many, it will be faster to simply walk, especially with the limited number of downtown stations. A free fare zone such as used in Calgary depends on it being at street level to work well. This brings back the argument that surface LRT would be useful even if the tunnel is built. Hmmm, wouldn't it have been almost ready for service by now?

I had also thought of integrating the Central Library with the Ottawa Archives. Both are used for research and it would have been nice to have the Archives centrally located. I am not sure how viable this would be, since the Archives requires special climate controlled storage and a lot of records that are rarely accessed. This may be the reason why a separate building is being built. At least the archives are being located next to a rapid transit station although there is no direct rapid transit from my part of the city, at least not for decades.

I don't think it is a good idea to have underground parking that is priced below market value. This will just encourage downtown workers to park there first and fill up the garage before library is open on weekdays. I wouldn't mind free parking in the evening and on weekends, however.

I do like the idea of a roof top garden, maybe partly indoors and partly outdoors for reading and relaxing. I wouldn't mind having a place that you can get a meal or a coffee while visiting the library, perhaps as part of the roof top garden. You could spend the whole day there without having to leave the building.

Lastly, I would rather spend $180M on a fabulous downtown library than on a Baseline tunnel. Intensification at Baseline should not cost taxpayers $200M+. I know Baseline station will cost significant money but I keep thinking that we should consider Baseline station as a temporary terminus for LRT and we should be thinking ahead about further extensions.

I totally agree with you - the Baseline intensification should not cost anywhere near $200M. The library is a much better use of municipal taxpayers' money, and the location is an excellent one (help improve Downtown West as well).

Davis137
Jun 20, 2009, 7:54 PM
Well, if the landlords and businesses get relocated, it sounds like they are going to be paid rather handsomely for their land in the process. This happened to one of my parents neighbours in Brantford...he owned a small ranch and farmland in the northeast portion of the city, and the Municipality and developers paid him a boatload of money to leave (they put the Wayne Gretzky Parkway extension through the land, as well as shopping centres, restaurants and car dealerships on the land).

rocketphish
Jun 25, 2009, 1:50 PM
Council votes to buy land for new downtown library
Property acquisition to cost up to $26M

By Patrick Dare, The Ottawa Citizen, June 25, 2009


Ottawa Council voted 20-1 Wednesday to go ahead with buying the land downtown for a new central library.

Council approved acquisition of the city block bounded by Albert, Slater, Lyon and Bay streets. The property acquisition will cost as much as $26 million, though actual costs of the land purchases may be considerably less.

The decision is a critical first step in the construction of what is expected to be a new landmark for the western part of downtown; a 345,000-square-foot building that would replace the much smaller current library on Metcalfe Street.

The city will now negotiate with several property owners on the chosen site.

A couple of councillors expressed concern about the proposed site. Councillor Rainer Bloess questioned staff at length about why Lansdowne Park -- a property already in the city's hands in need of redevelopment -- was not being used.

Bloess said that a central library could make Lansdowne into a lively public site. While the library's evaluation of Lansdowne faults the site for its lack of transit service, Bloess noted that 50,000 people have converged on Lansdowne for some events.

But Councillor Jan Harder, chairwoman of the city's library board, said that the new main library must be in the downtown, accessible to all residents. The Albert Street site is on the current bus-transitway and at the proposed location of the western downtown subway station.

City manager Kent Kirkpatrick said the big new library would not fit onto the Lansdowne site without affecting other plans for the site.

Councillors said there were other sites on the shortlist, such as the Lorne Building on Elgin Street, but they were not available.

Councillor Diane Holmes noted the library project has been under way for 15 years. "It's the most accessible piece of land in the entire city."

The only councillor to vote against the site was Gord Hunter.

Harder said the project still has many hurdles to pass and will take many years to design, raise funds for and build. The project has been estimated to cost $181 million, though that figure is very preliminary.

The development for the city block, as envisioned by the library board, would be close to 700,000 square feet, including housing, offices and stores. The city aims to create a lively new city block that will help cover some of the costs of new library building.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/News/Council+votes+land+downtown+library/1729837/story.html (http://www.ottawacitizen.com/News/Council+votes+land+downtown+library/1729837/story.html)

Proof Sheet
Jun 25, 2009, 2:00 PM
Well, if the landlords and businesses get relocated, it sounds like they are going to be paid rather handsomely for their land in the process. This happened to one of my parents neighbours in Brantford...he owned a small ranch and farmland in the northeast portion of the city, and the Municipality and developers paid him a boatload of money to leave (they put the Wayne Gretzky Parkway extension through the land, as well as shopping centres, restaurants and car dealerships on the land).

I know the area...if I'm correct, I don't believe that there are any driveways or entrances linking directly on to Wayne Gretzky Parkway

canadave
Jun 25, 2009, 7:27 PM
Anyone see this one?


City union pitches Lansdowne for new library site

By DEREK PUDDICOMBE, Sun Media

One of the city’s big unions wants council to reconsider the chosen site for a new central library.

In a newsletter distributed Wednesday and titled “Restoring sanity to plans for building a new central library in Ottawa,” CUPE Local 503 says the city should be eyeing Lansdowne Park as a site to build a new $200 million main library and do away with the site at Bay and Albert streets.

Union spokesman, Clarence Dungey, said the new site doesn’t make any sense. The city could save the $26 million to purchase the land downtown because it already owns the Lansdowne property.

“It’s inadequate and it’s absolutely the wrong location,” said Dungey.

The union says the city argument that the downtown site is the best because it will be close to rapid transit isn’t a good one. Lansdowne Park has never had problems attracting and accommodating thousands of visitors, he argued.

Dungey said councillors sold on the idea have been “mesmerized” by the notion that the new site would be a great location.

“It’s balderdash,” he said.

A city consultant shot back that Lansdowne Park shouldn’t be considered for a new library and any new central library should be near a light rail transit line.

“I think council is on the right track with this,” said Graham Bird, who was hired by the city to evaluate the Lansdowne Live proposal, an unsolicited plan by a group of Ottawa businessmen to redevelop the park. “The central library should be where kids and where people can get at it. It’s great.”

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans is a former long-time member of the Ottawa Public Library Board and agrees that if the city proceeds with plans to build a new central library, it should be in the downtown core — not at Lansdowne Park.

“It doesn’t strike me as the appropriate site,” said Deans. “Lansdowne Park is removed from the downtown core and it (the new library) should be in the heart of the city.”

Deans said even if the city goes ahead with the land acquisition and doesn’t build the library, the city won’t lose financially.

“Any land acquisition is a good investment,” she said. “If we don’t build, we could sell the land at a profit.”

City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick said building a library at Lansdowne Park would likely mean the removal of Frank Clair Stadium.

City council voted 20-1 Wednesday in favour of spending $26 million to purchase the land for the new library.


Link (http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/06/24/9913266.html)

*headdesk* :koko:

Mille Sabords
Jun 25, 2009, 9:10 PM
:previous: Yeah, this morning. I literally stopped cold when I saw the headline. I never pick up that 24 Hours paper (even though it's "Freakin' Free" as their ads say) but I ran for a copy. I guess it worked as a media stunt. They must've found some bozo to spew off about something high profile on a slow news day. It's hard to take the guy seriously and, after the bus strike, unions make perfect villains, especially seeing how popular the new central library site has turned out to be in general public opinion.

AuxTown
Jun 25, 2009, 9:20 PM
Insert evil Glebite grins here ____________. Can you guess what neighbourhood Dungey live in or is closely connected to? Wouldn't it just be the greatest to replace a noisy stadium with arguably one of the best possible neighbours, a library? Sorry guys, this one's gotta be front and centre. We can't spend all this money on what will hopefully be a city landmark to have it outside of the parliamentary precinct. The Glebe is a great neighbourhood and they already have their community library just across the canal. The central library needs to be central and I can't think of a more central place.

canadave
Jun 26, 2009, 12:08 PM
Insert evil Glebite grins here ____________. Can you guess what neighbourhood Dungey live in or is closely connected to? Wouldn't it just be the greatest to replace a noisy stadium with arguably one of the best possible neighbours, a library? Sorry guys, this one's gotta be front and centre. We can't spend all this money on what will hopefully be a city landmark to have it outside of the parliamentary precinct. The Glebe is a great neighbourhood and they already have their community library just across the canal. The central library needs to be central and I can't think of a more central place.

Exactly. While I'm sure Glebites would like nothing more than turning Lansdowne into a place where saying "Shhh!" is not only allowed, but encouraged, it's way too far from the core for a "central" library, and the site has so many more uses which are more valuable (like, I dunno, professional football or something?) to waste it on a library. Downtown or bust on this one.

I was against the floated proposals for a Bayview library for the same reason... what's the point of a central library that's not right in the centre?

harls
Jun 26, 2009, 12:19 PM
Lansdowne Park has never had problems attracting and accommodating thousands of visitors, he argued.

Yes, but those were loud, obnoxious drunken sports fans, just like those you'd find at a library.

Davis137
Jun 27, 2009, 12:58 PM
I LOVE the sheer indecision demonstrated with any development or project in this city!

Beatrix
Jun 27, 2009, 2:06 PM
I LOVE the sheer indecision demonstrated with any development or project in this city!

It's a constant power struggle between massive egos. Everyone would rather hear their own voices then shut up and take a back seat to others' good ideas.

citizen j
Jun 27, 2009, 8:49 PM
^True. Although I'm blown away by the sudden almost-decisiveness of the council's vote to buy the land (20-1, with who else but Gord "Philistine" Hunter the lone dissenter). I expect squabbling will start once the process begins to lurch forward. Brooks will likely try to link the library to rural vs. urban issues and then try to bring the wind farm moratorium to the table somehow. And Holmes will argue that an 8-storey structure is too tall for the neighbourhood. And then Leadman will come up with a proposal that the thing be built on Carling Avenue. And the circus will degenerate from there. Perhaps the transportation committee is in cahoots with the library committee to use the central library project as a diversionary tactic to distract attention away from the LRT project until shovels can be put into the ground? No, that's expecting way too much.

waterloowarrior
Dec 9, 2009, 5:01 AM
City gears up to buy site for new central library
http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/designingottawa/archive/2009/12/09/city-gears-up-to-buy-site-for-new-central-library.aspx
The purchase of a downtown site for a new central library is expected to take place in May or June 2010.

rakerman
Dec 9, 2009, 2:40 PM
the purchase is good news, but

"We are going to invest in a city block – the only under-developed block left in the downtown – and we are going to someday build a new central library there," says councillor Jan Harder, chairwoman of the Ottawa Public Library Board.

Someday? Way to be ambitious there Ottawa.
I want this thing planned and built. Not even a target date? No money in the budget even for planning?

Dado
Dec 9, 2009, 5:14 PM
:previous:

Hey now, don't rush them. They have a process to follow.

First they have to decide who's going to design it. Maybe they'll try again for a design competition. Unfortunately they've just lost their design review panel, so they'll have to reconstitute that first, which will take some time just to find some architects and urban designers who aren't already pissed off at them.

Then when they're nearing getting the design competition underway, some private consortium might come along and offer to develop the site in exchange for some kind of apparently beneficial deal, which of course some of our non-urban councillors will latch onto as the GREATEST IDEA, EVER, so they'll cancel the design competition and then embark on a multi-year meandering negotiation without any meaningful consultation, and, at the end of which, will produce a mediocre plan that will likely be fought by community groups for all manner of reasons as all sides descend into bickering hysteria.

Meanwhile they'll be planning on boring a tunnel right past the site without integrating it with the library or making use of the opportunity the library presents.

:D

RTWAP
Dec 9, 2009, 8:35 PM
the purchase is good news, but

"We are going to invest in a city block – the only under-developed block left in the downtown – and we are going to someday build a new central library there," says councillor Jan Harder, chairwoman of the Ottawa Public Library Board.

Someday? Way to be ambitious there Ottawa.
I want this thing planned and built. Not even a target date? No money in the budget even for planning?

Wait for the next recession and then apply for infrastructure funds.

lrt's friend
Dec 9, 2009, 9:16 PM
If it takes 25 years to build a footbridge over the canal, this should take 50 years. Lots of time for planning and replanning and leaving a city block downtown increasingly derelict.

RTWAP
Jul 3, 2010, 5:17 AM
Wouldn't it make sense to do a multi-purpose building on this site.

Have it be a transit station (underground), library (podium at surface level) and residential/commercial towers above the podium?

I wonder how much the city would get for allowing a develop to build some freakin tall towers. If they could cover a significant portion of the library and station building cost then that would be great.

Ottawan
Jul 3, 2010, 2:13 PM
Great idea, and coincidentally, it is exactly what the city intends on doing! They have always said that there would be integration of several civic purposes on the site (Library + geneology centre + community use areas), transit integration (ie, connection to the station there), a small civic plaza, AND residential/commercial towers above which would help fund the project, and spur the revitalization of that part of downtown.

kwoldtimer
Jul 3, 2010, 2:17 PM
Is there any suggestion of when construction might begin? It will soon be a year since the site was announced and things have been rather quite since.

Dado
Jul 3, 2010, 6:05 PM
Great idea, and coincidentally, it is exactly what the city intends on doing!

Umm, no they're not. Wherever did you get that idea?

The two projects, as things currently stand, are to be carried out separately. They will dig out the block for the foundation and parkade for the library, while the station, which will be under Albert, will be mined out from within the tunnel. The sole bit of integration will be to provide station access through the library structure.

What RTWAP was talking about was actually putting the station below the library or at least building them as one project. Elsewhere Richard Eade has provided good suggestions on how this could be done, including tunnelling under Slater from LeBreton Flats instead of under Albert.

The main rationale given for mining out the stations was to minimize surface disruption, but in this case that doesn't matter since the site will be excavated anyway. If they built the station in the bottom of the library the station would be completed a lot faster and for a lot less money because it would just be a marginal addition to the library.

Ottawan
Jul 4, 2010, 1:51 AM
Dado, if you'd read the whole post, you would have seen:

transit integration (ie, connection to the station

Perhaps I was confusing and slightly enthusiastic, but I did not intentionally misrepresent anything. Please do not put words in my mouth. The important part to me (and in my post) is the fact that the City intends to have towers over the library. It definitely needs a connection to the station (which it will have). I don't have the technical expertise to comment on the feasibility/desireability of putting the station directly under the building or somehow seperate.

Dado
Jul 4, 2010, 3:28 PM
I did read your entire post.

You were responding to RTWAP's post about it making sense to build a "multi-purpose building", in which response you said that that is "exactly what the city intends on doing". And that is not true. They don't intend to build a multi-purpose building. It will not be one master-planned project, it will be two projects with a little bit of a tie-in between them.

I'll defer to RTWAP on what exactly it was he was trying to say, but it certainly appears he was talking about one all-encompassing project.

RTWAP
Jul 13, 2010, 2:13 AM
I did read your entire post.

You were responding to RTWAP's post about it making sense to build a "multi-purpose building", in which response you said that that is "exactly what the city intends on doing". And that is not true. They don't intend to build a multi-purpose building. It will not be one master-planned project, it will be two projects with a little bit of a tie-in between them.

I'll defer to RTWAP on what exactly it was he was trying to say, but it certainly appears he was talking about one all-encompassing project.

I was referring to a very tight integration between the two projects that would allow them to design and build common elements or tie-ins at the same time from the same dig.

It may be that you're both right. ;)

If the city does leverage the site and defray costs by going higher with residential or commercial floors then it will be interesting to see what limit the city puts on it when they're the ones deriving economic benefit.

Will they wimp out and build 10 or 12 floors because there's no developer with an OMB hammer, or will they build 25+ floors and argue that it's in the city's interest and not for base motives like those of grubby minded developers?

It's an opportunity to demonstrate hypocrisy or principle.

reidjr
Jul 13, 2010, 5:12 PM
Is there any suggestion of when construction might begin? It will soon be a year since the site was announced and things have been rather quite since.

My take is it is year away i think the best bet would say 5 years would be a safe bet when work could start.

hunter
Jul 14, 2010, 11:39 PM
More bureaucracy for another Ottawa project...


Plans for new library on downtown block called off

By JON WILLING, Ottawa Sun

Last Updated: July 14, 2010 6:11pm


Plans for a new central library in downtown Ottawa have fallen through.

Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder, chairwoman of the Ottawa Public Library board, said Wednesday the city has broken off negotiations to buy a block at Albert, Lyon, Bay and Slater streets for a new library.

"We'll have to go back to the drawing board because things have changed," Harder said. "It wasn't for a lack of trying."

She wouldn't say what led to the city walking away from the land negotiations, but she characterized it as a "mutual agreement" between the city and the primary land owner.

Harder said the $26 million set aside for a new library will continue to be bookmarked for the project. Searching for a new location likely won't begin again until the next term of council, Harder said.

jon.willing@sunmedia.ca

RTWAP
Jul 15, 2010, 3:58 AM
More bureaucracy for another Ottawa project...

Bummer.

Bayview anyone?


On a mostly unrelated topic, I wonder if it would make sense to have the city library take over all the school libraries on a contract basis. I think it would be more efficient to have one system that shared resources instead of 5 separate ones. Heck, the universities and colleges may find it worthwhile too.

lrt's friend
Jul 15, 2010, 12:43 PM
It is really too bad that the location has not worked out.

Bayview anyone?

No thank you. Our central library needs to be downtown, so office workers can pop in at lunch or you can drop in while shopping.

How about where the portrait library was proposed? I guess that would require a quick decision by the city instead of their usual dithering for the next 20 years.

bikegypsy
Jul 15, 2010, 1:31 PM
A real shame. It would have been a great location for it and would have helped push the area in an new direction. Downtown west really needs something else but office building.

acottawa
Jul 15, 2010, 1:55 PM
This is all quite odd. If they were offering fair market value then why are they not talking about expropriation? If they were not offering fair value, and the whole strategy was to get some sort of reduced price from alterna then it seems like the library board mislead council.

Luker
Jul 15, 2010, 2:20 PM
that is really, really bad news, for DT ottawa development, centralization, and intensifacation as a whole, the multi-use facility would of been just what that area needed to lighten up the work/redsedential wind-tunnel/boring feel west of bank :(

You guys want to shoot off some potential properties in the CBD or market which could potentially house the new Central Library?

flar
Jul 15, 2010, 2:47 PM
Why can't they do something at the current site of the Main Library? It's in a prime location. Or maybe they could just spend the money on new books, Ottawa's library system is not that great relative to other services in this city.

drawarc
Jul 15, 2010, 4:59 PM
That is bad news. What about Place de Ville phase 3 site at Kent and Queen. Have central library as a main tenant?

kwoldtimer
Jul 15, 2010, 11:56 PM
Or propose locating it in an expanded Rideau Centre to try to entice some life into that project.

RTWAP
Jul 16, 2010, 2:49 AM
Or propose locating it in an expanded Rideau Centre to try to entice some life into that project.

That's an interesting idea.

Personally, I'd do a massive renovation of the NAC that completely changed the look of the externals, and added all the space a central library needs. Rename it the Culture Centre or something.

But that's a 20 second idea with no critical thought applied so it's probably totally unworkable.

Ottawan
Jul 16, 2010, 3:38 AM
The Concert Hall (Elgin) site would be a prime contender in my mind. Arts Court is also one, now that the City revealed that they would be willing to redevelop that property (which has some interesting opportunities in wasted surrounding space) if the Ottawa Art Gallery moved to Lansdowne.

But I agree that the west side of downtown could use a lift. I've long thought that escarpment area north of Albert, immediately west of Bronson, and south of Lebreton flats (ie, where cars currently park for Bluesfest/downtown office jobs) would be an ideal location.

harls
Jul 16, 2010, 11:38 AM
OBJ Article (http://www.obj.ca/Local/City-Hall/2010-07-15/article-1569259/UPDATE:-Alterna-land-sale-scuttled/1)

City councillors subsequently set aside $26 million for acquiring the 0.74 acres of land. Media reports say the money will remain earmarked for the central library project.

In a report prepared last year, city staff said the municipality could expropriate the properties if negotiations failed. However, Ms. Clubb said that option was never seriously considered.

She said the city will now start looking for a new prospective location. Previous contenders included the old Ottawa Technical High School and the Shamrock surface parking lot at Metcalfe and Nepean streets.

Ms. Clubb said the city would also look at any new opportunities that may have emerged over the past year.

rakerman
Jul 18, 2010, 2:58 PM
Plans for a new central library in downtown Ottawa have fallen through.

Fuck. That was a great location.

AuxTown
Jul 18, 2010, 5:02 PM
Why not involve Claridge and see if we can incorporate the library into their condo tower proposal on the Glue Pot Pub site. It's basically the same location and has potential for a LRT connection. I would prefer the building to be free-standing and not part of a condo tower's podium though.

JCL
Jul 19, 2010, 3:14 AM
Seeing how negotiations with property owners of the preferred site has failed, perhaps they could consider the property of the old Ottawa Tech High Schoo (across from Albert/Slater and Bay)?

Ice Hockey 87
Jul 22, 2010, 6:41 PM
Imagine a new library in old Union Station

The Ottawa Citizen July 22, 2010

Re: No deal for new library, July 15.

On a recent visit to the Maritimes, I noticed once more how they are catching up to and in some ways even surpassing Ontario. One of the most notable is in the preservation of their heritage.

When the old Prince Edward Island railway was abandoned, the stations became libraries, museums and municipal offices. Ottawa's Union Station, now the Government Conference Centre, sits idle much of the time, while six blocks away the Ottawa Public Library's Main branch bulges at the seams. And the Ottawa Public Library officials report that plans to buy downtown land for a new central library have apparently failed.

Union Station is in a perfect location for the city's main library. It is near major bus lines, adjacent to ample parking in Rideau Centre, and on the proposed light-rail route. The rotunda would make a wonderful reading room. The building is huge and there is room for expansion of its southern extension.

A café could be created along the Rideau Canal, helping address the strange fact that Ottawa has hardly any restaurants with views of its wonderful waterways. A café on the second storey could be a library reading room.

The concept combines two of the ways civilizations preserve their heritage, namely with books and heritage architecture. Canadians and tourists would be impressed with a city that shows pride in its heritage. The federal government could use the new Congress Centre a block away for conferences that might have been held in the old Union Station.

I hope that our civic politicians have the imagination to pursue this idea.

Ed Whitcomb,

Ottawa
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/letters/Imagine+library+Union+Station/3308390/story.html#ixzz0uRCjFp8p

Aylmer
Jul 22, 2010, 9:04 PM
Heeey, thems good ideas... I could definitely see a library and a transit station using Union. It's an architectural gem and should be put to public use.

:)

McC
Jul 22, 2010, 9:06 PM
a worthy idea. Kitchissippi posted a sketch a while back of the canal level of Union Station lined with awning-covered café térrasses, and it nearly made me drool!

Jamaican-Phoenix
Jul 23, 2010, 1:09 AM
a worthy idea. Kitchissippi posted a sketch a while back of the canal level of Union Station lined with awning-covered café térrasses, and it nearly made me drool!

I remember that. If that became the Central Library and transit station with cafes and the NCC park idea, that could be one fantastic and truly stunning area.

Ice Hockey 87
Jul 23, 2010, 2:54 AM
Heeey, thems good ideas... I could definitely see a library and a transit station using Union. It's an architectural gem and should be put to public use.

:)


Absolutely! It just does not make sense not using Union Station since it is located near the main tourist attractions and a possible future lrt station. By using their existing resources wisely, the city can save a ton of time and money relocating the city's main library branch. It makes a lot of sense today since the city is anyways facing financial limitations. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Jamaican-Phoenix
Jul 23, 2010, 3:35 AM
While this seems like a really great idea and makes a lot of sense to us, we need to remember that we still have to deal with our incompetent City Council.

TransitZilla
Jul 23, 2010, 1:58 PM
I have always thought Union Station would be a great place for the Central libaray. It seems that the argument against has been cost- the building needs a lot of work, not to mention the cost of an addition.

But in the end, I think it would totally be worth it.

Acajack
Jul 23, 2010, 2:19 PM
I apologize if it has already been raised here, but has any thought been given to partnering with Library and Archives Canada, whose current digs on Wellington (west of the Supreme Court) are apparently woefully inadequate?

In Montreal the city and provincial government teamed up and came up with this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Biblioth%C3%A8que

Richard Eade
Jul 23, 2010, 3:45 PM
Perhaps a new (iconic, to suit the NCC) tower addition between the existing Government Conference Centre (A.K.A. Union Station) and Colonel By (over the current angled extension of Mackenzie Ave., which would be removed) and the older (heritage) portion of the Union Station could be used as the main entrance/conference facility/subway station access.

I think the treatment of the Bank of Canada was very good when it's addition was designed; I hope the same level of sensitivity could be used for the Union Station.

McC
Jul 23, 2010, 6:31 PM
The Marion County Public Library did a great job of integrating a new postmodern addition to the back to their old neoclassical (Carnegie?) central library. When I vistited a couple of years ago I wondered at how easily something similar might be done at the back of Union Station (a very similar building in scale, size and style). Not many pictures here: http://www.imcpl.org/central/index.html but I'm sure anyone who is interested could find more with a little googling.

Dado
Jul 23, 2010, 6:59 PM
Would the old Union Station actually be big enough and/or sufficiently well laid-out to act as a new central library? It just doesn't strike me as being quite the right size or shape of building, much as I'd like to see it used for something in a public capacity. Of course, with the depth of the nearby Rideau LRT station, we could just put the library mainly underground... people could stop on their way up to rest up and read, or something :D

As for other sites, JCL mentioned the old Ottawa Technical High School site, which kind of appeals to me since it's about the same size as the Lyon-Albert-Bay-Slater block.

McC
Jul 23, 2010, 7:36 PM
As for other sites, JCL mentioned the old Ottawa Technical High School site, which kind of appeals to me since it's about the same size as the Lyon-Albert-Bay-Slater block.

It also already has a big auditorium, in the "heritage"* part of the building. According to the Escarpment Plan, the city is considering keeping the Aud if/when the site is developed, and at the same time they (another branch) also wanted to put a new auditorium accross the street in the new Central Library plan. This seemed kinda redundant to me, not to forget that there are also 2 other auditoriums within a few blocks at Library and Archives and the Bronson Centre! Anyway, it would make sense from an efficiency standpoint to integrate the new library with the old Ottawa Tech auditorium, and there might be other facilities in the old high school that could be re-purposed as well. The only drawback I see to this idea is that the auditorium is accross the street from the sports fields (som of which are to be preserved as greenspace in the Escarpment Plan), so it couldn't open onto a plaza on those fields, and they'd have to keep/renew/replace the skywalk accross Slater that connects the two ugly mod additions of the old school.

* I don't know if it has actual heritage designation but it is the oldest and most interesting part of the building architecturally.

umbria27
Jul 24, 2010, 2:24 AM
Union Station is an interesting idea as the library site. You only need one visit to the Musee D'Orsay to see how a train station can be re-imagined as something completely different. We need to be more creative about our heritage buildings. There's no use preserving them as empty shells. We need to use them. Why can't the Horticultural Building become the city art gallery? Why can't the Les Soeurs de la Visitation become a boutique hotel? I know there's an argument about preserving historical uses, but sometimes any use is better than no use.

Since the library is homeless and we're rethinking gallery space, I can't also help thinking that they should share a site.

ajldub
Jul 24, 2010, 5:05 AM
The library should get a brand new building for all those books. Union is also too central for a place where people can go read in quiet. I say turn it into a great Otrain transit hub with spurs to the train station and the airport, so you can get to any city in Canada and the world from downtown without getting in a car. I've never been inside either so I don't know if it would be big enough for a central library.

bikegypsy
Jul 24, 2010, 6:05 AM
I've been in Union Station a few times. I think it's too small for what the city is planing although with a suitable addition it would suffice. But Ottawa really needs a stand alone iconic structure for this one. Library or not, the Station needs to go back to the city.