New library favoured option

Facing overcrowding at its current site, the future may see a new library built on the property where old Fort Frances High School now stands.
At least, that was the consensus at a public meeting Thursday night which, despite the blustery weather, drew about 20 local residents, library staff, and library board members to the Fort Frances Museum.
John Stephenson, of the Thunder Bay-based architectural firm of Kuch, Stephenson, Gibson and Malo, unveiled two possible plans—one for a renovated version of the current library and the other for a new building—to garner public input.
The former would include an expansion spanning 70 feet out from the rear of the east half of the building (which originally was built in 1898).
It also would feature changes like improved access, an elevator, and moving the children’s department to the upper level and the adult section downstairs.
This would cost roughly $2,495,610.
The latter option—a new single-storey library—proved to be much more popular, though, as concerns were raised about how long the library would have to be closed (eight months to a year) if renovation and expansion was chosen.
It would be based on an “open” concept, with library staff working from one location in the centre of the building, and surrounded by the adult non-fiction, fiction and children’s departments (as well as reading and study areas, a nursery school, and a multi-purpose room, among other features).
Its price tag was estimated at $3,253,600.
While the pros and cons of the five sites eyed for a new library—also including behind the Fort Frances Courthouse, at Alexander MacKenzie School, at Sixth Street School, and near the Memorial Sports Centre—were weighed, ultimately the old Fort High property was picked as the best.
Not only would the centrally-located property be large enough for a new library and parking lot, which likely would only take up between one-third and one-half the total property.
And the area not taken up by the library could be developed into public “green space,” as per the designs of the “Re-Inventing Fort Frances” project.
The traffic flow at Alexander MacKenzie made people think twice about that location while the north-end location of Sixth Street School contradicted the library’s traditional role as a centrally-located community institution.
Building a new library on property near the Memorial Sports Centre was ruled out because that area already has much activity going on, while the view of the mill and the jail kept the property behind the courthouse from being a viable option.
Stephenson made it clear the library’s need for more space was a problem that needed to be addressed.
Based on the number of resident and non-resident borrowers using the library and the size of the community, he noted, the library should be at least 14,783 sq. ft. in area as opposed to its current size (9.516 sq. ft.)
He added the problem isn’t that the library has too big a collection of books, CDs, videos, DVDs, and CD ROMs, but that library is too small.
As well, the growth of the collection would be less of a concern in the future if the library is expanded as the nature of the collection is changing, particularly with the reference section (encyclopedias, etc.) being converted to a much less bulky CD-form.
Stephenson will meet with the library board in three-four weeks for further discussion. Then a second public meeting will be held later this year, at which time he will come forward with a final draft report as to the feasibility of building a new library here.
Stephenson began the feasibility study last fall.
The library building was constructed in 1898, with an expansion completed in 1967.