Regina Public Library highlights issues with central branch during public tours

The Regina Public Library (RPL) is shedding some light on the issues that plague its central branch.

“There’s no imminent safety concerns, but the risk of issues continues to grow,” said Kevin Saunderson, RPL’s executive director of service innovation.

The long list of problems start before visitors even enter the front doors, according to Saunderson.

“The ramp on the exterior of the building does not meet current building code,” he said.

Once someone gets inside, accessibility isn’t much better. There are three floors in the library with just one elevator. There are no bathrooms on the main floor.

“The elevator is the only accessible means to access our washrooms,” Saunderson said.

“If the elevator goes down, well those people are hooped.”

Accessibility is one of the biggest issues that needs to be addressed, according to the RPL board. (Allison Bamford/CTV News)

On top of accessibility issues, Saunderson said there are leaks in the roof, asbestos on the ceiling, and poorly insulated walls.

As for the windows, they were installed backwards to accommodate the sunshades.

Condensation leaks through the windows on the second floor of RPL's central branch. (Allison Bamford/CTV News)

However, Saunderson said the biggest problem is the building’s original boilers. Only one is in service at the moment.

“We can heat the whole building with one boiler. The problem is these things are so old they are really difficult to find parts and to find anybody who knows how to manage the control system,” he said.

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These are just some of the issues that Saunderson highlighted during a media tour of the central branch on Tuesday. The library is offering a similar tour to the public all week long.

“We established the tours to create an opportunity for those people from the outside that haven’t been engaged … to give those people an avenue to better understand what we mean when we say we have problems with the building,” he said.

The RPL board voted in favour of demolishing the central branch and rebuilding—bigger and taller—on the same location at the corner of 12th Avenue and Lorne Street. Board members believe that is the best way to address the library’s needs, and ensure growth and long-term viability.

The estimated cost of a new building is $125 million. RPL estimates it would cost $50 million to just get the building up to code.

“We would be living with a lot of the problems that we continue to live with today that a new building is about the only way that we are able to solve them,” Saunderson said.

The cost and destruction of a heritage building have been contentious topics that many opposed at a recent public consultation hosted by the city’s catalyst committee.

The catalyst committee is tasked with drafting a report with recommendations for the future of the central branch along with four other major projects.

The report is expected to go to city council in January.