Ādisōke [Ottawa's New Central Library] | U/C

[rocketphish]

Cost a factor in people's preferences for library site

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: February 1, 2017 | Last Updated: February 1, 2017 3:18 PM EST


The Ottawa Public Library asked architect Ajon Moriyama to sketch out a blocking plan for a new central library at 557 Wellington St.
The drawing helped the library establish a high-level cost estimate but it is not a design rendering for the building. The OPL would hire an architect
to do the actual design after the development plan is approved by the library board and city council. The OPL and Library and Archives Canada want
to build a joint facility at the city-owned property.

The Ottawa Public Library had a small surprise Tuesday night for trustees and the public: polling data on site locations.

OPL sent Nanos Research into the field between Jan. 10 and Jan 17 to gauge people’s opinions on the shortlisted sites for a new main library.

Nanos learned 72 per cent of people prefer the recommended site, 557 Wellington St.

That compares to nine per cent who preferred the property at Slater, Lyon and Albert streets and eight per cent who liked the property at the northeast corner of Albert and Booth streets. Another 11 per cent said they weren’t sure.

Key to the poll was Nanos’s inclusion of the cost implications for each site, with 557 Wellington St. being the baseline “lowest cost” to the city. For the Slater/Lyon/Albert site, respondents were told it would cost $33.3 million more. For the Albert/Booth site, they were told it would cost $8.8 million more.

Nik Nanos, chair of Nanos Research, said he included the costs for the sites (the OPL didn’t tell him to put the numbers in) because he believes you can’t do the public opinion research unless you include the cost impacts.

Nanos said the previous polling he did for the library indicated people wanted to know four things about a future main library: function, location, cost and vision.

“I don’t think it would have been fair if we hadn’t told people that there are different costs related to the different choices,” Nanos told me Wednesday.

While it would be interesting to know, it’s hard to speculate how people would choose the best site if the costs were removed, but as Nanos suggested, there’s no point hiding the prices since the city isn’t going to build a library at any cost.


Here’s how the preference survey breaks down by region:

Region ________ Albert/Booth _ Slater/Lyon/Albert _ 557 Wellington St. _ Unsure
Total (1,000) ___ 7.9% ________ 8.6% _____________ 72.4% ___________ 11.0%
West (228) _____ 9.2% ________ 6.5% _____________ 74.8% ___________ 9.4%
Central (201) ___ 7.7% ________ 20.3% ____________ 61.2% __________ 10.8%
South (302) ____ 7.1% ________ 6.1% _____________ 74.2% __________ 12.6%
East (186) _____ 7.7% ________ 4.4% _____________ 78.3% ___________ 9.6%
Rural (83) ______ 8.8% ________ 4.7% _____________ 73.3% __________ 13.1%
Nanos Research survey. Hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,000 Ottawa residents 18 years old or older, between Jan. 10-17. Margin of error: +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20


jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...r-library-site

[a very long weekend]

still don't really understand why ottawa's current central library doesn't work. can someone enlighten me?

[rocketphish]

Council OKs LeBreton Flats site for $168M super library

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: February 8, 2017 | Last Updated: February 8, 2017 12:36 PM EST

The City of Ottawa finally has a site locked down for a new main library.

Council voted 21-1 on Wednesday to partner with Library and Archives Canada to build a $168-million facility at 557 Wellington St., on the corner of Albert and Commissioner streets. The city’s portion would be $99 million but the estimates are still very preliminary.

“We’re moving forward on something iconic in this city,” said Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney, the library board chair, before the vote.

College Coun. Rick Chiarelli, a former library board chair, remembered how close the city was to pursuing a new library in 2006.

“We’re now 11 years later, it hasn’t been achieved yet,” Chiarelli told council. “You have a great opportunity in front of you that hits just about every goal you have.”

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans complained about the “wonky” process that didn’t give councillors a chance to ask staff about the project until Wednesday, but she still supported the partnership and site.

Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney, who cast the only vote against the project, emphasized the “hole” that will be left downtown when the main library moves. OPL has vowed to look at Centretown library services in the next planning study.

There are still several outstanding questions on the project, including two of the biggest ones: how will the city pay for its portion and how will the two organizations decide what the building should look like?

Council won’t find out the staff financing plan until June and only then can the OPL and Library and Archives Canada find an architect.

Even before that, the organizations need to figure out how to include a parking facility in the project. The current cost estimate doesn’t include parking.

Still, the council vote marks the closest the city has come to actually building a new main library, with past proposals fizzling out because of financial hurdles.

City treasurer Marian Simulik said staff will also be looking at the value of the existing main library on Metcalfe Street. Money from a sale could help pay for the city’s costs of a new library.

The OPL anticipates the joint facility would open in 2022.

Council approves concept for Baseline busway

A study supporting a busway up the gut of Baseline Road received council’s endorsement Wednesday.

Once built, the 14-kilometre busway connecting Bayshore and Heron stations would let transit riders bypass downtown to get across the city. The plan calls for 24 new stations along the route with O-Train connections, but council agreed to add to the design an additional $1.6-million station at Baseline Road and St. Helen’s Place.

The unique element of the design is the bus lanes running in the middle of a widened Baseline Road, allowing for a “complete street” transformation accommodating all road users.

The first phase, Baseline to Heron stations, would cost about $140 million, plus an additional $8 million for other transit priority measures. Construction could begin in 2020. The post-2031 second phase to Bayshore station would cost another $140 million.

The city would need funds from the upper-tier governments to build the busway.

Student-focused apartment complex OK for Bronson, council decides

Council on Wednesday approved a zoning change to allow a privately-run student residence to be built at 774 Bronson Ave., south of Carling Avenue.

Textbook Suites plans to construct 172 units in a 12-storey building, which would be about one kilometre from Carleton University.

Council also signed off on a separate proposal to build a six-storey mixed-use building at 770 Bronson Ave., currently the site of a car repair shop.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...-super-library

[rocketphish]

Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney, who cast the only vote against the project, emphasized the “hole” that will be left downtown when the main library moves. OPL has vowed to look at Centretown library services in the next planning study.

Really? I wonder how large this "hole" is compared to the distance to a library in other parts of the City?

[Mikeed]

I will say,
I would love if the long term the Heritage Building at City Hall were repurposed as a small Library branch for the Centretown residents.

But I would also like that to be used as a Portrait Gallery or like the 'Crown Collection' a selection of some of the really interesting stuff that the Crown has doesn't have a 'home' - a non-permanent collection always rotating. But this is part of a larger desire to see our *ugly* City Hall that looks like a cheap community centre built in the mid 90s.

So this is not likely.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Really? I wonder how large this "hole" is compared to the distance to a library in other parts of the City?

Most other parts of the city have a local library branch.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Really? I wonder how large this "hole" is compared to the distance to a library in other parts of the City?

Ya, I'm surprised to hear that from you.

Downtown/Centretown is hands down the densest area of the city and absolutely requires a branch library if the Central moves out.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Really? I wonder how large this "hole" is compared to the distance to a library in other parts of the City?

It may look small, but when you take population densities into account, it is affects a larger population, especially when you consider that more people in centre town are car free than in other parts of the city.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Most other parts of the city have a local library branch.

Most yes, but there is a huge void in the east end. I know it is historical from before amalgamation, but I don't understand why Constance Bay, Fitzroy Harbour, Munster and North Gower all have branches, but Navan (for example) doesn't.

[m0nkyman]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Really? I wonder how large this "hole" is compared to the distance to a library in other parts of the City?

Centretown walks, and has density. Having said that, the people most affected will likely be downtown office workers who will no longer be able to zip to the library on their lunch break and still have time to eat.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Ya, I'm surprised to hear that from you.

Downtown/Centretown is hands down the densest area of the city and absolutely requires a branch library if the Central moves out.

Downtown isn't losing a library, it's just moving 1100m to the southwest. Only those "downtown" residents on the eastern edge of the existing catchment area will no longer be in the magic radius about the new facility. But the western-most residents of downtown who weren't in the radius now will be. And the eastern-most residents still fall within the theoretical catchment area of the local branch on Rideau St. Furthermore, the existing Central branch is located at the far eastern edge of the Library's own irregularly defined catchment area, favouring those in the east. It could be that this relocated central library will actually serve more people than the current one does.

Here's my crude analysis:

• The blue lines in the image below define the City of Ottawa's official catchment area for the central branch*.
• The red lines are arbitrary 1400m radius circles that I've drawn centered on the library branches located in central Ottawa**. These demonstrate actual proximity to each branch.
• The green line is the same 1400m central branch proximity circle shifted and centered on the new main branch location.

So, looking at this highly unscientific picture I see that some residents of the Golden Triangle area will be further away from their closest library than they were before, while residents of Chinatown and Little Italy will now be much closer. Should we build a new "local" library branch just to serve this pocket of residents in the Elgin/Gladstone area? Or, speaking of "holes", should we build one that will serve Westboro and Carlington, that don't appear to have a local library at all. These areas may not be as dense, but they are vastly larger in area. I wonder what the population of library-goers in each area is? I wonder who really absolutely requires a local library?



* p58: https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/sites...nal Report.pdf
** https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/library

[acottawa]

1. The Rideau Branch is a branch in name only, it offers hardly any of the services of other branches so sandy hill and lower town users have the main branch as their de facto local library.

2. 1100m is an eleven minute walk at a brisk pace, longer for people who can't walk at a brisk pace. Blackburn hamlet is less than 11 minutes from Orleans or Gloucester but I am pretty sure residents would be pissed if their branch closed. Same for bells corner, manotick, Vanier, etc.

3. Centretown, byward market and sandy hill have 60,000 residents. So yes, they deserve their own local branch.

[AndyMEng]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Downtown isn't losing a library, it's just moving 1100m to the southwest. Only those "downtown" residents on the eastern edge of the existing catchment area will no longer be in the magic radius about the new facility. But the western-most residents of downtown who weren't in the radius now will be. And the eastern-most residents still fall within the theoretical catchment area of the local branch on Rideau St. Furthermore, the existing Central branch is located at the far eastern edge of the Library's own irregularly defined catchment area, favouring those in the east. It could be that this relocated central library will actually serve more people than the current one does.

Here's my crude analysis:

• The blue lines in the image below define the City of Ottawa's official catchment area for the central branch*.
• The red lines are arbitrary 1400m radius circles that I've drawn centered on the library branches located in central Ottawa**. These demonstrate actual proximity to each branch.
• The green line is the same 1400m central branch proximity circle shifted and centered on the new main branch location.

So, looking at this highly unscientific picture I see that some residents of the Golden Triangle area will be further away from their closest library than they were before, while residents of Chinatown and Little Italy will now be much closer. Should we build a new "local" library branch just to serve this pocket of residents in the Elgin/Gladstone area? Or, speaking of "holes", should we build one that will serve Westboro and Carlington, that don't appear to have a local library at all. These areas may not be as dense, but they are vastly larger in area. I wonder what the population of library-goers in each area is? I wonder who really absolutely requires a local library?



* p58: https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/sites...nal Report.pdf
** https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/library

Thanks, Rocketphish. I've been jonesing for a map like this, but never bothered to make one.

If we're thinking all things being equal, then perhaps the Jack Purcell needs a library branch.

Acottawa, I love the Rideau Branch, its beautiful, stately, has a good selection, and serves the community well. Other than the fact that its a local branch and might only have a couple of rooms for rent, instead of well...the couple of rooms the main branch has, I much prefer Rideau to the central branch, and would go out of my way to drop in there instead of the centre branch.

I've lived in Sandy Hill, Centretown Central, and also Elgin/Gladstone. If I were at Elgin/Glastone still, I would probably bike down the canal to the Sunnyside branch.

The new location will be fantastic for the high density neighborhoods of Rochester/Booth and Chinatown.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by AndyMEng

Acottawa, I love the Rideau Branch, its beautiful, stately, has a good selection, and serves the community well. Other than the fact that its a local branch and might only have a couple of rooms for rent, instead of well...the couple of rooms the main branch has, I much prefer Rideau to the central branch, and would go out of my way to drop in there instead of the centre branch.

Yes it is very nice (the best preserved of the carnegie libraries) but compared to almost any other library branch it offers hardly any programming, hardly any services, hardly any meeting rooms and a very small collection. That is fine for now because the main branch is so close (and has always been close).

[lrt's friend]

All the map proves is that there will be no library branch in the centre of the CBD and as others point out, no library convenient to the 100K+ downtown office workers. It is not just about downtown residents and this is why the Central branch is different from all the local branches.

[McC]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Or, speaking of "holes", should we build one that will serve Westboro and Carlington, that don't appear to have a local library at all.

true story; Dovercourt or Westgate would be (would have been) good locations to fill that big gap between Hintonburg and Carlingwood.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Yes it is very nice (the best preserved of the carnegie libraries) but compared to almost any other library branch it offers hardly any programming, hardly any services, hardly any meeting rooms and a very small collection. That is fine for now because the main branch is so close (and has always been close).

My bad, not a Carnegie Library (although built to a similar design).

[rocketphish]

Council gives final OK to LeBreton Flats location for central library
Some councillors remain opposed to placing main branch outside the downtown core

By: Haley Ritchie, Metro
Published on Wed Feb 08 2017

Ottawa City Council has made its final choice for the new central library's location, approving the site at LeBreton flats, with one dissenting vote and one abstaining.

Wednesday’s decision will mean city staff will begin the process of selling off the current branch of the library, at Laurier and Metcalfe. Money from the sale will help fund the $168-million project.

Coun. Tim Tierney, chair of the library board, ended the meeting on a victorious note.

“After 20 years of dithering, we finally have a solid, workable plan, the support of our mayor and the unparalleled opportunity to partner with Library and Archives Canada,” he said. “What I’ve been hearing form the people is ‘get on with it’ and we want to see what this library could look like in the future.”

“We’re moving forward on something iconic to this city."

Mayor Jim Watson said he was looking forward to the next phase of the project: finding an architect and designing the 133,000-square-foot landmark building.

Coun. Catherine McKenney, who had been very vocal in her criticism of the Lebreton Flats location, 557 Wellington Street, said the loss of the current central branch will create a “hole” in the Centretown community.

“This will be a loss of a branch library in the densest part of the city, where walking is the dominant mode of travel and 81 per cent of current main branch users walk to the library," she said.

City staff have been directed to create a transition plan that will ensure downtown residents still have convenient access to the system.

Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Tobi Nussbaum criticized the location for focusing on westward expansion instead of the current core. He left council chambers during the vote in order to abstain.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/...l-library.html

Interesting... the Citizen article didn't mention anything about abstentions.

[Richard Eade]

Technically, there are no abstyentions allowed in Ottawa's municipal politics - all Councilors present must vote either For or Against an item. Councilors abuse the rule by temporarily leaving the Council Chamber during votes that they do not want to vote on.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

• The blue lines in the image below define the City of Ottawa's official catchment area for the central branch*.
• The red lines are arbitrary 1400m radius circles that I've drawn centered on the library branches located in central Ottawa**. These demonstrate actual proximity to each branch.
• The green line is the same 1400m central branch proximity circle shifted and centered on the new main branch location.

The big problem with using circles is it doesn't take geography into account. Physical briers such as water ways, highways, rail lines and escarpments will block access in locations where there is no safe crossing.

The map is also a little misleading as the main branch will be gone, so its circle will disappear, yet it is the same colour as all the other branches.

Originally Posted by AndyMEng

If we're thinking all things being equal, then perhaps the Jack Purcell needs a library branch.

I was thinking the same thing. It would better serve those in the Golden Triangle than the current main branch, and would even provide another alternative for those in Old Ottawa East. The question is can space be found at Jack Purcell without demolishing and rebuilding or loosing park space?