$84.5M revamp of Stanley Milner Library set for grand unveiling next February

The revamped Stanley A. Milner Library grand opening date is set for Feb. 14, 2020.

Edmonton Public Libraries made the announcement Wednesday, on the institution’s 106th birthday.

The city’s downtown library branch, built in 1967, closed for renovations in December 2016. A temporary branch has been operating several blocks away in Enterprise Square.

The projected budget for the work back in 2017 was $69 million, but the discovery of structural issues during renovations meant the cost was bumped up to $84.5 million.

In addition to the installation of a silver, modern exterior, the renovation includes tripling the size of the children’s library, adding meeting and reading space and the creation of an interactive simulation wall for multimedia presentations. The library will also host a much larger makerspace, a culinary learning area, a non-profit daycare, and a space for hosting Indigenous ceremonies.

The library, situated on the south edge of Churchill Square, is just one of the large-scale construction projects ongoing in the city’s central square: the pool in front of city hall is undergoing rehabilitation expected to wrap up this summer, and Valley Line LRT work is also underway.