City recommends against central Thunder Bay Public Library branch ahead of council debate on its future

The future of the Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) will be up for debate on Monday, with council discussing whether to move forward with a proposed new central library branch in the northwestern Ontario city.

In a new report, however, city administration recommends that council vote against the move.

The TBPL has been pushing for the new central branch, which would be located at Intercity Shopping Centre, along with some other changes to the current library system.

The TBPL has come forward with three possible scenarios:

1. The status quo is maintained, keeping all existing branches openand making renovations as necessary;
2. The library opens the central branch, closes the Brodie Street libraryand maintains the other existing branches.
3. Including thenew central library branch, while the Brodie Street and County Fair libraries would close; the remaining branches would be maintained.

However, in its report, city administration recommends that council vote to keep the status quo that is, maintain the Waverley, Brodie, Mary J.L. Black and County Fair branches and perform any necessary upgrades and renovations.

While the TBPL is an independent bodyand any sort of future initiatives, structures, products and services are the sole responsibility of the library board, the report says the city "does have an important role in ensuring that it is comfortable with the financing provided to the TBPL."

"It also has a role in determining acceptable risk for that financingand in examining potential liabilities to the city," the report says. "Finally, council can and should consider impacts to the community that may indirectly occur due to the decisions made by the TBPL."

To that end, the city recommends against the new central library, as either scenario that includes the new branch would require "additional municipal debt, significant investment in a leased spaceand indirect impacts on the south core with the sale of Brodie Library," the report states.

Library CEO Richard Togman said he was disappointed when he saw administration's recommendation.

"Ithink a holistic understanding of the nature of the project obviously has to include the benefits to the library and the benefits to the community," he said. "I think one of the things thatcouncil needs to remember is that the library is not simply a budget item on the city's budget.

"The library is really part of the community, and how they really need to evaluate the project is looking at the very high cost in terms of the status quo, both from a financial and from a community impact, and then the real benefits that this project delivers not only to the library system but to the community at large."

The TBPL facilities master plan, which was released publicly last month and is available online, sayskeeping the status quo would require aninvestment of about $9.4 million in the existing library buildingsandabout $7.6 million in annual operating costs.

Scenario 2, meanwhile, would require annual operating costs of about $8.1 millionand Scenario 3about $7.6 million.

Scenarios 2 and 3 would also allow for more programming spaceand longer operating hoursthan the status quo.

Lack of space

"Right now, we're actually turning away children from our Reading Buddies program because we don't have enough space," Togman said. "Our summer reading club is on a really long waitlist."

"We're actively denying seniors wanting to use meeting spaces to host book clubs."

The TBPL is asking the city to contribute about $8.5 million to the construction of a central library; the TBPL itself would match that through grants and fundraising.

In the report to council, the city states the overall cost of the central library branch is estimated at about $17.6 million. One issue, however, is if it were built at the mall, the space would need to be leased from a privately owned company with no guarantee of lease renewal.

The report also saysdebt servicing costs, estimated at $1.1 million to $1.9 million in the first year, are not fully accounted for in the TBPL projections.

The report outlines some other concerns, as well:

• A central library in the proposed location "will likely include a request fora 100 per cent charitable tax rebate," which would cost the city about $220,000 in lost tax revenues.
• Possible increases in operating and lease costs would require the city to spend more to support library operations.
• The Brodie library building is a designated heritage property, and selling it would mean a loss of control over its maintenance and preservation.
• Getting rid of the Brodie library contradicts the city's official plan, which emphasizes "providing a full range of amenities in downtown areas."
• The city has not done any public consultation "on the cost impacts of these scenarios to taxpayers."

In a statement to CBC News, Devon McCloskey, the city's manager of planning services, said asale of Brodielibrary would affect the city's efforts to revitalize the south core.

"With the disassembly of Victoriaville, there is opportunity for restoration of Victoria Avenue and benefit to the core area as a whole," the statement read. "Focusing residential development in both the North and South Cores is a key focus of the initiatives proposed as part of the Housing Accelerator Action Plan.

"To encourage residential density, supporting services and facilities are an important aspect of community building and the effort that is being undertaken to revitalize the South Core in particular. Our downtown cores currently function well in terms of access to grocery stores, recreational, social and cultural institutions, parkland, etc. Community libraries are another significant component. If these supporting services and facilities leave, as we are trying to encourage more residential development, it would negatively impact this work."

Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff said the costs are a concern.

"We have I think an idea that the community needs and wants library services," he said. "I support that. We also understand that there's an affordability question here.

"That is where the argument rests, and at this time, I'm going to say I don't think there's enough support from council," Boshcoff said. "Certainly from the community, there's definitely a distinct lack of support for it.

"The fact is, with all the competing interests, with all the needs versus wants, this is one that isnot on anybody's top list."

Togmanis expected to make a deputation on the matter to council at Monday's meeting.