Saskatoon Central Library | 4 Floors | Design Phase

[Saskabusher]

i wouldn't worry too much about bots in renderings.. one of my first and strongest memories is of pooh corner at the Francis Morison library. i was blown away by it. I hope this new place does the same to the new generations..

Warman's had some scary crime lately that's what i mean, including murders. Where you go there you are. It's slightly cheaper for a bigger place but at what cost? bigger isn't better in the first place, and if you build it they will come, all of them... there's so much room just dt still to create living space..

[Saskabusher]

Originally Posted by roryn1

One thing the modern libraries are good for is giving uni/college students an extra working location to work - WITH LAPTOPS. I don’t think I see a single laptop here / everyone’s busy chatting in groups at the library LOL. yeesh

took another look, you should too, and what a weird thing to focus on when the space is paramount. how can you see through those luxurious chairs? do iPads count? there's definitely a laptop.. trolling

[Crisis]

.

[Roquentin]

The strip mall was knocked down a few days ago, and they're making short work of the cleanup.

[Saskabusher]

this is going to be great for Saskabush! i'll be on the top floor writing my masterpiece daily, with spellcheck. i hope the views from there are like in the renders... but does anyone know, did i miss it, what kind of wood they're using for the beams and interior? It looks quite light in the renderings. is it a veneer? if the posts are re-used cedar or douglas fir wow! but that's not really sask. there are posts and paneling. i dunno but i will in 2026, mother earth willing

[Crisis]

Looks like this video was uploaded about 3 weeks ago but don't recall seeing it posted here yet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFo...nPublicLibrary

[bomberjet]

Very nice.

[Roquentin]

The library's made an interesting request that could speed upgrades to 2nd ave and change/improve the flow of traffic through that part of the core. I could go on and on about this forever, but I'll just say that I hope this request is approved and fast-tracked.

https://thestarphoenix.com/news/loca...owntown-branch

[Crisis]

Originally Posted by Roquentin

The library's made an interesting request that could speed upgrades to 2nd ave and change/improve the flow of traffic through that part of the core. I could go on and on about this forever, but I'll just say that I hope this request is approved and fast-tracked.

https://thestarphoenix.com/news/loca...owntown-branch

I'll take the opposing viewpoint, which is sure to be unpopular on this forum.

I believe that the proposed changes will impede/congest traffic flow through that part of the core. If it was on a different street, I'd have no issue with it, however, 2nd Avenue is a major conduit that feeds traffic from the north end of the City to Downtown via Warman Road. The current angle parking on 2nd Avenue south of 22nd Street is good for the retailers in that area, as it provides additional parking and changes 2nd Avenue from an arterial to a route for local traffic only. 22nd street is also a major east-west arterial, so it makes sense to have 2nd Avenue transition at that point as a lot of traffic turns at 22nd street.

The current Central Library isn't a traffic destination, though perhaps the new one will be. If that is the case, I'd rather see the lay-by areas for bus drop offs on 24th street.

This proposed change won't lower the volume of traffic heading into downtown from the north but will simply divert it from 2nd avenue onto 1st, 3rd and 4th Avenues. Hopefully, the CoS traffic planners will also make accommodations (and budget accordingly) for any necessary improvements to those streets.

[asdfgh]

Originally Posted by Crisis

I'll take the opposing viewpoint, which is sure to be unpopular on this forum.

I believe that the proposed changes will impede/congest traffic flow through that part of the core. If it was on a different street, I'd have no issue with it, however, 2nd Avenue is a major conduit that feeds traffic from the north end of the City to Downtown via Warman Road. The current angle parking on 2nd Avenue south of 22nd Street is good for the retailers in that area, as it provides additional parking and changes 2nd Avenue from an arterial to a route for local traffic only. 22nd street is also a major east-west arterial, so it makes sense to have 2nd Avenue transition at that point as a lot of traffic turns at 22nd street.

The current Central Library isn't a traffic destination, though perhaps the new one will be. If that is the case, I'd rather see the lay-by areas for bus drop offs on 24th street.

This proposed change won't lower the volume of traffic heading into downtown from the north but will simply divert it from 2nd avenue onto 1st, 3rd and 4th Avenues. Hopefully, the CoS traffic planners will also make accommodations (and budget accordingly) for any necessary improvements to those streets.

I think your last paragraph undermines the rest of your take on this. 1st, 3rd and 4th are all much more major conduits for traffic through downtown. 2nd Ave is the WORST street through downtown if you are looking to cut through downtown, which makes these changes make sense.

If this was on 4th or 1st, I think I could be more on side with your suggestion, but 2nd is precisely the street that I avoid unless I'm specifically going to someplace on that street.

Also, I'd disagree re: the current library as a traffic destination, the Francis Morrison IS a traffic destination.

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by Crisis

This proposed change won't lower the volume of traffic heading into downtown from the north but will simply divert it from 2nd avenue onto 1st, 3rd and 4th Avenues. Hopefully, the CoS traffic planners will also make accommodations (and budget accordingly) for any necessary improvements to those streets.

I would argue this already happens. If you are heading southbound on 2nd you likely have one of three destinations: Idylwyld/22nd/20th (west), College Dr (east), or the CBD/Broadway (south). If you are going east people have to turn at 25th. If you are going west you could theoretically continue to 22nd, 23rd, or 24th, but 2nd > 25th > Idylwyld is much more streamlined as there are only two stoplights along 25th and there are two turning lanes at Idylwyld.

So that just leaves traffic heading south. And I would say that 3rd or 4th are much better equipped to handle large traffic volumes, so if people aren't already using those streets this redesign would only encourage the optimal behaviour.

[Roquentin]

Originally Posted by Crisis

This proposed change won't lower the volume of traffic heading into downtown from the north but will simply divert it from 2nd avenue onto 1st, 3rd and 4th Avenues. Hopefully, the CoS traffic planners will also make accommodations (and budget accordingly) for any necessary improvements to those streets.

I think this is one of the goals here, moving forward. The devil's in the details of course, but in general the core has no shortage of overbuilt streets and avenues that can (and will, with the BRT, say) handle more traffic than they currently do. The library's request would only accelerate existing long-term plans, which I take to mean that avenues like 1st and 3rd are already seen as routes that will accommodate more commuters in the future than 2nd, which will serve slower, local traffic. Also, with the BRT plans, the current bus terminal will be removed, which will open 23rd st. for traffic and help improve circulation on 2nd ave. (and east-west traffic through the core in general).

[4LSaskatoon]

Drove by the site yesterday. They've cleared the snow, a bit of activity starting there. Does anyone know when construction starts?

[Crisis]

I doubt construction will start anytime soon. There has been no call for Expressions of Interest or Request for Qualifications, much less tenders being issued. There have also been no rumblings in the industry about any of this being imminent.

[Echoes]

CENTRAL LIBRARY PROJECT BUDGET & SCHEDULE UPDATE (Jan 2023)

SCHEDULE
The construction schedule has been refined as more specific information was available. Remediation of the site will begin in the late summer of 2023 and then construction will follow. As of Jan 2023, the new central library remains on schedule to open in 2026.

[Saskabusher]

Not having a couple of floors of underground parking here is a very lost opportunity and a pie in the sky envisioning of the future. Great resource and lecture spaces with no way of accessing them without freezing drop-offs. Taxis to the door. Okay. That's all Bigwigs giving lectures will be able to do, along with the audience. No one's walking here or taking the bus from their big houses in the burbs, even if they like the lecture topic. Does the design change habits? Maybe somewhat. Maybe more folks will walk from their downtown apartments. Yes! That's it! At least, I will.

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by Saskabusher

No one's walking here or taking the bus from their big houses in the burbs, even if they like the lecture topic.

There is no shortage of parking downtown. Would underground heated parking be a nice amenity? Yes. But if people can walk their dog or walk across the Safeway parking lot in the middle of winter, they can walk two blocks from the nearest parking lot or curbside space.

[Saskabusher]

Originally Posted by FarmerHaight

There is no shortage of parking downtown. Would underground heated parking be a nice amenity? Yes. But if people can walk their dog or walk across the Safeway parking lot in the middle of winter, they can walk two blocks from the nearest parking lot or curbside space.

Exactly the hope, and I'm with you. But this is Saskatoon. A block in winter freezes your eyelids shut. I do accept your wool over mine, though. It's nice and warm....

[Saskabusher]

Hopefully the Library can get a patron to drop several million as a donation to get a tax break and name recognition. It's not unheard of, even in the range of 30-50 million. Then the design can remain true to the vision. Hello. Mr. Pattison;>) Welcome to the Cree Tent Jim Pattison Saskatoon Central Library. (Just don't put his name first, no matter the coin)

[Echoes]

NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
September 2023

In late spring, SPL issued the construction tender for the new central library after both Class A cost estimates we received aligned with the project budget. The construction bids SPL received in late August were substantially beyond the budget available. As a result, SPL has cancelled the construction tender.

SPL is committed to building the new central library and working with the construction industry to reduce costs through design revisions. A Request for Proposal for Construction Management Services will be issued. This approach will result in a construction manager working alongside the design and engineering teams to provide pre-construction services and help identify efficiencies that allow us to construct the library within the project’s budget. The extent of the design changes required will not be known until early 2024.

“The situation we have found ourselves in is very disappointing, but it only represents a temporary setback for the project. The work ahead will help us better understand the discrepancy between the cost estimates and tendered bids and allow us to chart a path forward with confidence,” said Jim Siemens, SPL’s Board Chair. “We firmly believe that Saskatoon needs a new central library and we remain committed to delivering a building that supports the lifelong learning needs of our community. It will just take us a little longer to get there,” he added.

Construction will not begin this fall as scheduled, and the opening of the new central library is likely to be pushed into 2027, with the specific date dependent on the extent of design changes required. Because the current central library has been sold, with possession set to change in December 2026, SPL is preparing plans to minimize service disruptions to library service.

From the outset of this project, SPL applied rigorous cost-control measures to provide the highest cost certainty for taxpayers. The steps taken to manage the budget were:

- Hired two independent cost consultants.
At the end of each design phase, both cost consultants received the architectural drawings and provided cost estimates based on those drawings.

- Completed five cost estimates between April 2021 and April 2023.
If an estimate exceeded the budget, both cost consultants initiated a value engineering process. This process recommended cost savings options for consideration by SPL, and any changes adopted were implemented in updated design plans before and the design team revised the plans to align the design with the construction budget before proceeding to the next stage. Typically, a project of this scale completes up to three cost estimates by a single consultant.

- Increased the escalation allowance as the project progressed.
When the cost escalation began increasing beyond historical industry standards, we had our project assessed for inflationary impacts. As a result, we increased the escalation allowance from 3% to 15% of the construction budget. The Building Construction Price Index for Saskatoon for non-residential buildings from Q1 of 2019 to Q1 of 2023 increased by 15.75%.

-Reallocated the project budget to increase the construction budget.
Construction cost estimates increased from $73.3 million after the first cost estimate to $81.1 million in the final cost estimate. Increases to the construction budget were addressed by reallocating funds from within other project budget line items.

We will continue to provide updates as we have more information available.

https://saskatooncentrallibrary.ca/n...uction-update/