LLF offers $100K to buy parkette naming rights

City councillors are interested in allowing a local law firm to help pay for a piece of public art in a parkette outside the newly renovated public library.

The firm, LLF, also wants to buy the naming rights for the parkette. They are prepared to pay $100,000.

Of that sum, $20,000 would be to help the city cover the $50,000 cost of the piece of public art; the rest for naming rights for the parkette, for the next 20 years.

The library is now under construction. A $12-million renovation and expansion is underway.

Last year, the city bought two properties next door to the library to leave room for future expansion (perhaps 20 years from now).

In the meantime, council decided to create a parkette and add accessible parking for the library on the property on the southwest corner of Aylmer and Simcoe St. (that’s why the city tore down the red brick law offices).

City staff envisioned a piece of public art in the parkette; they budgeted $30,000 for that.

But later, staff determined that wouldn’t be enough: they’d need $50,000 for a piece of art. That’s when the city approached LLF to see whether the firm would be interested in helping out.

On Monday night, city councillors gave preliminary approval to the idea.

At the meeting, Coun. Lesley Parnell wanted reassurance that the piece of public art would be “appropriate” for the site.

Ken Doherty, the city’s community services director, said there will be a rigorous process to select an artwork – and it will take into consideration public sensibilities.

Also on councillors’ committee of the whole agenda Monday night:

Grants:

Councillors gave preliminary approval to a plan to allow 39 locals organizations to share in $230,000 Community Investment Grants. It must be ratified, at a forthcoming council meeting.

Under the plan, the Peterborough Folk Festival is getting $15,000 in Community Investment Grants; they were turned down for a larger Service Grant, starting next year.

Meanwhile, councillors also approved a plan to distribute $21,000 among 34 groups for special community projects.

The full list of groups that were approved for funding – and the sums recommended – are listed on the city’s website.

Technology for the Library:

Councillors will be expected to vote on whether to hire an Ottawa firm to install new technology at the library, when it reopens after renovations.

A city staff report recommends hiring Bibliotheca Canada Inc. to install new electronic equipment such as self-check stations and book-sorting systems.

The cost is expected to be $139,000. The city solicited bids, and received submissions from two firms: Bibliotheca is being recommended to councillors based on criteria such as cost and references.