Waterloo’s newest library branch closer to reality

RIM Park add-on would allow entry from sports facility, cost $7.8 M

WATERLOO — The city’s newest library branch may be built onto the east side of RIM Park, with it’s own entrance and access from within the sports facility.

City staff presented Waterloo politicians with an update on preliminary design options for the east end library at a committee of the whole meeting Monday.

“It’s all on the west side, uptown and the west side, and now ... we are able to stretch the service over to the east side,” said Waterloo Public Library board chair Karen Scian.

Early designs of the new branch include a new 11,500-sq.ft. single storey building on the east side.

It will also include 2,200-sq.-ft. of existing space that is underused and may be renovated to house a staff area.

Last summer, council directed staff to examine RIM Park as a potential new home for the city’s fourth library branch. A budget of $7.8 million was earmarked to build it, and a preliminary estimate of operating costs is set at $882,000 a year.

But this will be reviewed before it is approved by council.

That breaks down to $17 per household, according to a staff report.

Affordability and budgets will be crucial to this project.

Waterloo’s John M. Harper branch struggled with a deficit last year to the point of reducing branch hours to make up costs.

Scian said a “sustainably-funded” four-branch model was always the city’s goal.

It’s one of the reasons staff looked for cost savings in capital and operating budgets.

According to a report, city staff estimated substantial cost savings by building the new branch at RIM Park instead of purchasing land.

By building a new branch at RIM Park, the city will save nearly $4 million in capital and land purchase costs and $93,000 in annual operating costs, the report estimates.

The committee unanimously approved the feasibility study’s progress report.

“You will be reintroducing libraries to a whole new generation,” Mayor Dave Jaworksy said, adding that he thought the early designs looked “spectacular.”

He said the RIM Park location is a great opportunity to connect families who frequent the arena for sports games with what the library will have to offer.

Staff plan to host open houses later this month to collect public feedback. A final report and budget is expected to return to council for approval in November.

If all goes to plan, construction of the new branch is expected to begin in 2019 and be finished by 2020.