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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The New Library Council approves funding plan for new Central Library

Fowler Bauld & Mitchell approved as architect

Posted by Tim Bousquet on Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 6:44 PM

Halifax council Tuesday afternoon approved a financing scheme for construction of the new $55 million Central Library project and then Tuesday evening awarded the architectural contract for the building to Fowler Bauld & Mitchell, a local firm.

The financing side was remarkably uncontroversial, in part because, as councillor Sue Uteck noted, just $4.5 million in new city money had to be identified. Federal and economic stimulus funding are bringing, respectively, $18.3 million and $13 million to the project. The balance will come from the proceeds of the sale of two city-owned parking lots on Clyde Street, and money allocated to the library in past years.

Councillor Gloria McCluskey, who has in the past expressed irritation that the library is to be built on the peninsula rather than in Dartmouth, was the lone vote against the financing plan; Tuesday she based her objection on the inclusion of an auditorium and cafe in the library plan.

The architectural contract initially raised eyebrows because, of the four finalists for the job, Fowler Bauld & Mitchell submitted the highest bid---$4.3 million, compared to a low bid of $2.9 million. But the price tag part of the bids accounted for only 20 percent of the city's scoring system, and Fowler Bauld & Mitchell scored highest on the other 80 percent, and especially well with its plan for involving the public in the planning process. After staff walked councillors through the various considerations, council gave unanimous consent to the contract.

There are now no potential political or financial roadblocks to library construction. The project is to be completed by 2014.

Tags: Central library, Gloria McCluskey

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Comments (2)

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Foul-it-up-ball-it-up-and-pitch-it got the contract?

Almost an 8% fee. That's a damn good fee for such a large and relatively simple building. I don't have the Nova Scotia Association of Architects Minimum Fee structure in front of me here to reference but I'd say they are doing better than the matrix would provide which is seldom attained.

With a handsome fee like that, there is no reason that this facility couldn't be the most fantastic intelligent state-of-the-art jewel of architectural brilliance providing a culturally socially and artistically vibrant explosion of sensory and intellectual ground breaking educational experiences for Haligonians with symbiotic programing nurtured amplified and accelerated by the flexible harmonious durable functional environment manipulating the spaces through massing, lighting, colour, texture, and undefinable techniques of architectural achievement! Ya, sustainable too.

Or they could just do another regular building and pocket the change.