New library plans reaching final stages

With the goal still being to put the project out to tender in January, with construction to start in April, the building committee turned over its final report on the new Fort Frances Public Library and Technology Centre to the library board on Friday.
Board chair Joyce Cunningham said the study reflects the most up-to-date details on the new building, including fine-tuning, cutbacks, and efficiencies.

For one thing, the footprint of the structure has been reduced from 13,770 sq. ft. to 13,650, which Cunningham noted was the bare minimum the building can be. Its original footprint was 17,000 sq. ft.
“We got a little smaller again,” said Cunningham. “This was harsh reality, and for some of the areas, it was very difficult for me personally to agree to the reduction in size. And yet, I knew that if we did not agree to reduce, we would not able to build.
“There’s no place else to cut,” she stressed. “I think our report says we’ve cut every area except the washrooms and the mechanical and electrical rooms.”
Also contained in the report is a list of things the committee looked at as possible savings.
“We will be putting them in in such a way that, depending on costing when we go to tender, they could be left in or taken out,” Cunningham explained. “One of the biggest items was the roof—whether it is a metal roof or shingle roof.”
The report also includes a cost analysis of furnishings, shelving, and other items.
“We’re getting down into the real details,” noted Cunningham. “We have recognized you look at this stage very carefully. We don’t want to get partly into construction and realize, ‘Oops, we forgot something.’
“Changes, as everybody knows, are very, very costly.”
The report also noted the building committee will not pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification as it will be too costly (LEED is a standard for measuring “green” buildings).
The report includes an up-to-date budget for the revised library project, showing a projected building cost of $3,941,871, with an extra $383,371 included both to cover an estimated 12 percent inflation in building and material costs due to delay, as well as redesign fees in the amount of $25,000.
This makes for a total budget of $4,325,242.
“It’s going to cost more than anticipated because of the delays,” said Cunningham.
Architect John Knox of Chamberlain Architects is working on drawings according to the final fine-tuning and cutbacks, Cunningham noted, adding while the library board has a sketch of the retooled library plans, the official redesign will be ready before the end of the year—in time for project manager Brian Avis to carefully review the plans and put the project out to tender in January.
While the committee feel it’s on the right track to making the library project a reality, its work is far from over.
“The building committee is still meeting. We keep saying we’re fine-tuning but we’re beyond fine-tuning. . . . We’re getting very, very specific as to what we want to make sure is in every area of the library in order to meet all the patrons’ needs and provide all the services we want,” stressed Cunningham.
“We’re getting down to the nitty-gritty stuff.”
Also at Friday’s meeting, the library board passed two motions in relation to the study: “The Fort Frances Public Library Board approve the report to mayor and council as presented” and “The Fort Frances Public Library Board recommends that council endorse the Fort Frances Public Library/Technology Centre project as presented and proceed to request for proposal.”
The report and two motions will be forwarded to the Community Services executive committee, which, in turn, is expected to make a recommendation to council at its Nov. 24 meeting.
The library board has requested to be on the agenda at that meeting.
Anyone with questions or comments about the new library design or the plans is encouraged to contact Cunningham at 274-9248.
In the meantime, the “Building for the Future” fundraising campaign keeps on going, with the total now up to $830,000.
“We are very excited about the project moving ahead. The fundraising effort was an overwhelming success and clear indication that the community is excited about what the new library and technology centre will be able to provide to Fort Frances and the entire district,” said campaign chair Mark Kowalchuk.
“More and more we are hearing from many on council that the project needs to move to its next step in order to be ready to begin construction in the spring. We were unfortunately delayed for a year and we cannot afford to delay any longer,” he added.
“One of the things that is very important is the more the public recognizes that we are going ahead, the more we hear from council that, ‘Yes, they are on board with this,’ the more money comes in, because you have the people that say, ‘I am waiting. I don’t believe it,’” noted Cunningham.
She added that despite concerns from council in the past, she hopes it fully supports the project from now on.
“We said we’d raise $750,000, we raised $830,000,” she noted. “They said look for ways to save, we’ve done all that. Investigate going with the school, we did all that.
“We have done everything they possibly wanted us to do, and we simply can’t wait any longer,” Cunningham stressed. “This is it.”