Library designs scaled back

The decision to wait on the new library came even as project manager Brian Avis presented council yesterday with a list of cost reductions to building plans.
After the March 24 council meeting, the library building committee met once, and then met with Chamberlain Architects to critically review the building footprint with a mandate to reduce costs while maintaining functionality and integrity, he noted.
Avis said “a real building compromise was reached within the parameters,” but “the critical cost review was difficult as the budgeted unit costs revealed by the architects were higher than expected.”
Building compromises included removing about 1,061 sq. ft. off the north side of the building and another 219 sq. ft. after modifying staff and work areas.
They also include reducing the digital conference room from 900 sq. ft. to 758 sq. ft.
Including these changes, and ones made prior to them, Avis noted the building committee has reduced the footprint of the library from 17,000 sq. ft. to 13,700 sq. ft.—a reduction of 19 percent.
“With unit costs available, the committee and architect looked at all practical areas for reduction, zeroing in on some 20 items,” Avis added in the report.
Savings were found by:
•going with a shingle roof (with a 20-year lifespan) versus a metal roof;
•modifying interior light fixtures;
•going with a low slope roof versus a two-ply build-up;
•modifying acoustic ceiling tiles;
•reducing decorative faux stone in the building design;
•modifying the parking lot paving and light standards; and
•reducing landscaping.
After the reductions, the total project cost for the new library is $3.856 million. While this is not much lower than the $3.9-million price tag previously reported, most recent estimates came in higher than expected.
That said, with the spatial reduction and other cutbacks mentioned above, the building committee has trimmed more than $625,000 from previous plans.
The building committee and library board recommended council endorse the report to allow drawing revisions and the tendering process to advance.
Avis pointed out that regardless of what council ultimately decides to do, the architectural fees, drawings, and specifications already are paid for.
But council voted in favour of tabling this decision until after meeting with the school board.