The new central library in downtown Calgary is on time and on budget and if all goes well it could be open by fall of next year, according to the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC).
The City of Calgary’s community services committee received an update Wednesday on the progress of construction on the new landmark.
Construction on the facility, built over a CTrain tunnel in the East Village, started in August, 2014 with a scheduled completion in late 2018.
But, Michael Brown, president and CEO of the CMLC says work on the $245 million project is moving along better than expected.
“I would also say that as the team, and some of my team members are here, we take great, great pride in the fact that we deliver projects under budget and on time,” Brown told the committee. He added that the goal is now a September or October 2018 opening.
Bill Ptacek, CEO of the Calgary Public Library said they’re already planning the move from the current central library across from city hall.
“We’re starting to measure all the stuff we have in our current building that has to go to the new building to make sure that we have enough storage and everything else,” said Ptacek.
Oslo and New York-based Snohetta along with Calgary-based Dialog are in charge of the design for the new library which features 240,000 square feet of usable library space. It will include an auditorium, atrium, spaces that can be booked for private gatherings and a large reading room.
“Speaking for everyone on the team, we want this to be the poster-child for a city investment, that’s something that everybody in the community not only can be proud of, but that they can actively use and be engaged with,” said Ptacek.