The Prince George Public Library's main branch will get a new entrance after city council added the long-awaited project to the funded portion of the capital plan during budget deliberations this week.
The move came as the library board chair Carolynne Burkholder-James submitted a letter to council expressing dismay the project had been left off the funded list under the plan as presented to council by staff.
In moving it onto the funded list, councillors also made good on a promise made in October, when a detailed plan for the upgrade was presented. The bulk of the work will be carried out in 2018, with completion to follow the next year, according to the capital plan.
Staff was directed to develop options to fund the $2.5-million project. If the money is borrowed, servicing that debt will cost the city $211,000 per year for 20 years, according to a rough calculation from the city's finance director, Kris Dalio.
Council members agreed it's simply time to move ahead with the work.
"The amount is not as important as being able to create a safe and attractive environment for the library, it's patrons and absolutely for its employees," Coun. Susan Scott said. "We cannot continue the way we've been."
The proposal has travelled a bumpy road to reach this point.
It was put on the funded list in 2013 only to be taken off the next year in favour of further study once staff realized it was going to take more work and more money than available to have it completed in time for the Canada Winter Games.
In August 2015, an option worth $3.9-million was taken to council. In February 2016, a revised version with the $2.5-million price tag was presented.
Since it was built in 1981, the library has "faced challenges" with both the main entrance stairway and connection to the underground parking lot. That original building was supposed to be part of a raised courtyard, which was never constructed.
The library board didn't get everything they wanted. Despite the letter, a $300,000 renovation of the circulation area remained an unfunded future project, moved off the list of projects to be pursued in 2017.
Work on the library's roof, amounting to $370,000, is in the job jar for this year.
- with files from Samantha Wright-Allen
