City to consider library entrance makeover

A proper study into what it's going to take to rejuvenate the entrance to the Bob Harkins branch of the Prince George Public Library is long overdue, said Coun. Dave Wilbur.

As part of city council's 2015 budget deliberations, Wilbur brought forward a successful motion to have up to $200,000 spent from the city's capital expenditure reserve fund to get a better read on what it is the downtown branch needs.

Last year, council voted to add a $2.5 million library entrance project to the 2014 capital plan. But that project dropped off the list once staff realized it was going to take more work and more money than available to have it completed in time for the 2015 Canada Winter Games. The Bob Harkins branch will serve as the athlete lounge during the two-week sporting event.

"The penny finally dropped here: we went from December of 2013 until almost November of 2014 without a scope of work having been done," said Wilbur. "The library does not have the resources. We put them at Ground Zero for two years. We haven't moved the ball further in all that time, in my point of view."

According to recreation and cultural services director Rob Whitwham, a similar project was studied back in 2006, which put cost estimates at about $6.4 million. "Administration did some work [Wednesday] to take the cost trends increases that have happened since 2006 and we believe the scope of that work in 2015 dollars would be $7.8 million."

Council may have made a different decision last year if there was a different price tag attached, said Coun. Brian Skakun.

"That's a major concern to me. That's going to be a concern to people in the community and I feel for the library for them to have their hopes up that we're going to get this done for [$2.5 million] when the reality is we're probably not going to," Skakun said. "And this project looks like it might even be delayed longer."

That initial $2.5 million price tag came from an early concept put together by an architect, said chief librarian Janet Marren.

"There hasn't been a proper high-level plan done to actually come up with a figure," Marren said. "This is the process that will allow us to do that properly."

The direction given to city staff by council was to return with the information by the end of June 2015 - a timeline city manager Beth James wasn't confident could be met. At that point, the next city council will make a decision about how to move forward with any renovations.

Marren said she's optimistic about the future of the project.

"I really think that council made it clear that this is a project that's been identified as being needed for the library and overdue - and I think they would like to see it happen," she said. "We just need to be responsible about how much money it's going to cost and I think we need to actually be clear on what's needed and what's the minimum that we need to do in order to make the entrance safe and accessible and not worry about bells and whistles that goes along with it."