A new chapter for downtown Campbell River is coming to an end, for the time being. The new library planned for Shoppers Row has been put on pause.
It’s all due to skyrocketing construction and labour costs resulting from the ongoing pandemic, Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) says.
At a board meeting this past Saturday, Sept. 25th, VIRL trustees voted in support of continuing to operate out of the current library location for the next 12 months.
“This was certainly a difficult decision,” says Chair of the VIRL Board of Trustees, Gaby Wickstrom. “But we could not, being fiscally responsible, move forward with this project under the current construction and labour markets.”
She continues, “While the board is disappointed, we remain committed to and confident in finding a viable solution to build a flagship branch for Campbell River and the North Island.”
The existing library will remain in its current location for the next year on a month-to-month lease, VIRL says. During this time, staff will continue to consult with community representatives, assess future options, and make informed recommendations to the board on a path forward.
“A new library as a cornerstone of Campbell River’s downtown core and cultural district remains a priority for us,” explains Colleen Evans, VIRL trustee and Campbell River city councillor. “The difficult reality is it simply is not the right time to move forward with a project of this size and scope.”
According to VIRL, planning for the new library first began in 2019. With support from city council, the plan was to demolish the existing building and construct a 20,000 sq. ft. facility on the same site.
It’s noted that the total budget, secured through a Municipal Finance Authority loan, was $14 million, with $9 million allocated for construction and the remainder for furnishings, IT infrastructure, consulting, shelving, and more.
As well, VIRL says the City of Campbell River had committed to providing a no-cost lease, demolishing the existing facility and servicing the new site with sewage, water, drainage, and CR Municipal Broadband service.
But this past April, the results of a Class D costing indicated that construction costs alone would surpass $16 million. “A second costing was commissioned in May, based on a revised design with scaled-back features. This assessment also came back with projected construction costs up to five million dollars over the budgeted amount of $9 million,” VIRL adds.
“Also at the September 25th board meeting, VIRL Trustees agreed to a one-year hiatus on all new Capital Projects in 2022. This will provide VIRL with an opportunity to reevaluate Capital priorities as costs begin to rebound after historic pandemic highs. Some projects will continue in 2022 because the projects were well underway at the time the hiatus was enacted.”
