Regina's downtown library will temporarily move due to 'failing' building

Central Library services will be moving to a temporary location following a Regina Public Library Board of Directors vote.

During its meeting on Tuesday, the board took the vote over "concerns with failing building infrastructure" and the potential effect on library operations.

The 62 year old building needs about $4 million in repairs for mechanical and electrical systems to remain functional. The roof will be patched to get one more year out of the building before a move to a temporary quarters elsewhere downtown.

“What this is is understanding the condition of some of the major systems in the building and understanding the cost and the time involved in investing that while there is a new central library on the horizon,” said Jeff Barber, CEO of the Regina Public Library.

"The board has determined that the risks of staying outweigh the benefits, and a temporary relocation downtown is the most prudent way forward,” a board news release said.

The board voted last year to build a new downtown library in its present location.

“We are simply moving forward with our relocation sooner than anticipated," board chair Marj Gavigan said in the news release.

“Remaining in the current building puts service delivery at risk and isn’t an effective use of taxpayer money," she said.

A location for the temporary space has yet to be determined but it’s expected the move will happen next fall.

Once the library has been relocated the current building, which opened in 1962, will be decommissioned, according to the board.

A new library may have to wait its turn on the city list of catalyst projects but closure of the current main branch could make replacement more of a priority.

- With files from CTV News Regina's Wayne Mantyka