Implementation plan approved for new Ottawa Central Library

OTTAWA — The City of Ottawa’s Finance and Economic Development Committee recently approved the implementation plan for the new Ottawa Central Library.

The city is building the library as a joint facility with Library and Archives Canada on city-owned land at 557 Wellington St. The building is anticipated to open in 2024.

The city will contribute $104.2 million to the $174.8–million facility, along with the entire cost of an $18.1-million 200-space parking garage.

A Request for Proposals for professional design services for the new library was released last month to five shortlisted teams including:

• Diamond Schmitt Architects (Canada), KWC Architects (Canada);
• Mecanoo International b.v. (Holland), NORR Architects & Engineers Ltd (Canada);
• Patkau Architects (Canada), MSDL Architects (Canada), GRC Architects (Canada);
• Revery Architects Inc. (Canada), GRC Architects (Canada); and
• Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects (Denmark), KPMB Architects (Canada), Hobin Architecture Inc. (Canada).

The design services contract is expected to be awarded by the end of 2018, and the design process would include public consultations.