After decades of talk, the city finally broke ground on a new central library in Downtown Guelph Tuesday morning.
“Those of you who can’t believe this is actually happening, now is the time to pinch yourself,” Guelph Public Library CEO Steve Kraft said to the crowd gathered around the site, which sits in the Baker District.
“This day signifies the beginning of a new chapter in our city’s rich cultural heritage as we embark on a remarkable journey to create the next library space that will inspire, educate, and uplift our community for generations to come,” he said.
“This used to be a parking lot, and now look what it’s going to be,” Mayor Cam Guthrie said, adding that it will provide green space and more opportunities for community events, all while prioritizing accessibility.
City councillor Cathy Downer said they’ve been talking about building this library for more than 20 years, so it’s been a long time coming. Now, she’s excited to finally see them break ground.
“I’m so proud of our community. I think this library will become the heart of downtown,” she said.
The library is expected to be 8,175 square metres, with an underground parking and a public square. There will also be a residential and commercial component, which City of Guelph CAO Scott Stewart said will come later.
Council approved a budget of $62 million for the project, though some design elements of the parking garage were adjusted to keep the project from going over budget.
“There’s a limitation to how far down you can go into bedrock without (spending) crazy money,” he said, meaning there will be a few less parking spaces.
“But not everybody is going to be driving to the library. So I think we’re in good shape,” he said. “There will be nothing that you see as a user of the library that you’ll be disappointed (in).”
Stewart noted the library is slated to be open in 2026 if all goes well from here on out. Guthrie and Stewart are also both confident the project will remain with the $62 million budget.
“But you never know what could go wrong on a construction site,” he said, although barring any extreme barriers, he doesn’t expect the project to stall.
They’ll start by excavating the site, then building the library; the residential units will come later.
Guthrie noted as the project progresses, the public will be kept in the loop about whether it’s staying under budget with quarterly updates.
More information on the construction timeline will come later this summer.
