There's more studying happening at the library.
On Wednesday night city council approved moving forward with discussions about the future look of the Bob Harkins branch of the Prince George Public Library.
Last October, council asked staff to have completed a scope of work report on a new library entrance by June 30, setting aside $200,000 for that purpose. That report hasn't materialized, but a five-person working group of city and library staff formed in May to start compiling options.
One option is an estimated $3.9 million project to create an integrated stairwell and elevator with a stop at the plaza level and to enclose the north side of the existing deck for a cafe and new program space.
A cheaper option, at an estimated $1.5 million, would be to build a two-way elevator on the east edge of the building with a new entrance to the Knowledge Garden. This would get rid of the existing entry ramp from the rotunda and enclose about half of the north side of the library deck for the aforementioned cafe and program space.
Two other options that don't have cost estimates include building a new stairwell along the north edge of the deck heading west toward the main entrance and moving the main entrance to open on to Dominion Street.
Instead of just picking one, the working group has proposed holding a workshop later this summer that could be led by a design professional to solicit feedback and discussion among library and community stakeholders.
The downtown branch of the library has faced accessibility challenges since it opened in 1981, said a report from chief librarian Janet Marren.
The original building was meant to be part of a raised courtyard, but that was never built, leaving the library standing above grade all on its own.
There are three points of entry, but the most popular is the parking lot elevator/stairwell. When that entrance had to close for three months in 2013, library users migrated to the entrance in the Civic Centre, but found "the length of the wheelchair ramp, the distance to the rotunda elevator from the parking lot, and additional ramped incline from the rotunda into the library building at the main level difficult to navigate," Marren wrote.
Three separate studies since 1996 have identified a need for improvements to the building's entrance.
"A renovated and expanded main branch of the library that includes improved accessibility, security and room for enhanced programming and community engagement is a meaningful and lasting legacy for the city of Prince George," Marren wrote.
In 2013, council voted to add a $2.5 million library entrance project to the 2014 capital plan, but that fell off the list once staff realized it was going to take more work and more money than available to have it completed for the desired pre-Canada Winter Games timeline.
There are already $1.27 million worth of improvements for the library in the capital plan for 2016 to 2018 and a library inspection in late 2014 identified another $392,000 worth of work that needs to be done.
The city recently submitted those upgrades for a federal grant, the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure program, aimed at sprucing up community spaces in honour of the country's 150th birthday.
After reviewing the rules and requirements, city staff have concluded necessary work on the public library best meets the criteria.
The grant program could award up to $500,000 for projects "materially completed" by the end of March 2018.
