EDMONTON – A major library revitalization project underway in Edmonton is on the receiving end of $4 million in joint federal and provincial funding that was announced recently.
The Stanley A. Milner Library, built in 1967, was targeted for renewal by the City of Edmonton in 2014, when city council approved a total budget of $84.5 million to revamp the building into a downtown showcase structure.
The work being funded by the federal and provincial governments includes the addition of community meeting rooms, event space and accessibility improvements, along with structural, mechanical and electrical upgrades, explains a release.
The Government of Canada is providing $2 million through the New Building Canada Fund and Alberta is providing a $2 million contribution from a one-time provincial municipal affairs grant.
It is also putting in an additional $16.4 million through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative, through which the provincial government supports local infrastructure priorities.
“EPL (Edmonton Public Library) is thrilled at the commitment from both the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta. By joining the City of Edmonton in supporting the ongoing renewal and revitalization of the Stanley A. Milner Library, all three levels of government are investing in lifelong learning and opportunity for Edmontonians, as well as a thriving and vibrant downtown core,” said EPL CEO Pilar Martinez in a statement.
According to the EPL, the new facility will include a children’s library that is more than three times the size of the previous space, with hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math activities like coding, robotics and digital creation, as well as an indoor play area; a larger “Makerspace,” for creating with technologies such as 3-D printing, sound and video production, and robotics; new spaces for music and art activities; an additional 4,000 square feet of private study spaces, including over 1,000 square feet overlooking Churchill Square; over 2,500 square feet of added community meeting space; a theatre; and a multi-storey interactive simulation wall, facilitating interactive learning as well as large-scale multimedia presentations.
The library is slated to reopen in 2020.
Through the 2018 budget, the Government of Alberta is putting $35.2 million towards public library services and resources across the province.
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Photo courtesy of Edmonton Public Library - The Stanley A. Milner Library was targeted for renewal by the City of Edmonton in 2014. The goal of the project is to revamp the building into a downtown showcase structure.
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