Change In Time Line

As you will know from reading this blog, both the Georgetown Branch Library and Cultural Centre require a temporary site during the construction phase.

In May 2007, the Manager of Purchasing had alerted local realtors to the Library’s need for space. The only property that had emerged as a reasonable possibility was the Holy Cross Church.

The Library Board and staff felt that the Holy Cross Church had a number of attributes that made it well-suited for temporary occupation:

-A central and visible location on an arterial road, within 5 minutes driving and 10 minutes walking of the current Georgetown Branch
-Adequate parking and three entrances (front, side and rear)
-Several open space areas—including the upstairs and downstairs, both of which are unimpeded by columns, poles, etc., which facilitates layout of shelving.
-Public washrooms that serve both floors, including a washroom on the lower level for persons with a disability
-A small, key-operated lift from the side entrance that could serve to move equipment and materials (a wheelchair lift is planned for the stairway)
-Natural light on the top floor with an attractive cathedral ceiling, and natural light in some parts of the downstairs area due to the placement of windows near ground level
-A number of nearby office and storage spaces, small and large

Until recently, the Church’s schedule with regard to re-locating to Georgetown South seemed to be in line with the Library’s desire to vacate the current building by the summer of 2010. A few days ago, written confirmation was received that the Church will not be ready for re-location until December, 2010. This seems to be the ‘best case’ scenario. Given other unforeseen delays in their construction schedule, it seems more likely that the Library will not be able to move to the Church until sometime in early 2011. The result of this delay in occupying the Holy Cross Church will be that the Georgetown Branch may not re-open until the early fall of 2012.

Due to its suitability, the Library Board does not wish to pursue any other temporary site, other than Holy Cross Church. Preliminary investigations have revealed that there remains a lack of finished office space in Georgetown in the size required to accommodate the Library. Moreover, the cost of office space would be much higher than currently budgeted; the cost for portable buildings would also be very high.

We recognize that this will mean waiting longer for a much improved library and that there will be some disappointed library users. Nonetheless, the Board and senior Library staff understand that there are advantages associated with this delay. With the recent funding of the Acton Branch Library replacement through the Infrastructure Stimulus Program, Library staff would be overseeing two major capital projects concurrently. With the delay of the Georgetown Branch, the workload and the operating and capital costs will be spread out in a way that is more manageable for both the Library and the Town. Other advantages include being able to 'test' and 'fine-tune' new approaches with the Acton Branch Project such as self-checkout. Moreover, in doing the projects in a more sequential manner, staff will be able to focus on one project at a time, thus reducing the chance of errors.

In the next few days, I will be working on a clear and comprehensive communication strategy to advise the public of this delay. The emphasis will be on the positive aspects associated with a later opening. The Library Board will also be hosting an open house where the plans as they have evolved can be unveiled. This will give the Library Board and staff another opportunity to explain the nature of the delay and to confirm our commitment to the Georgetown Branch Project.