RPL seeking input on other locations for Central Library

The Regina Public Library is checking out other locations for its new Central branch.

In September of 2022, the RPL’s board of directors voted to demolish the current downtown branch, with a preference for building a new building on the same site at some point in the future. A new branch was one of the mega-projects proposed by the city’s catalyst committee.

On Thursday, the RPL issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) asking property developers to supply the library with information about potential partnerships and other possible locations for the new Central Library building.

“We know that the downtown market has changed considerably in the recent past, and we want an idea of what else might be available,” Jeff Barber, the library’s director and CEO, said in a media release. “A new build at the current location is not off the table, but it’s in everyone’s best interest to research all possibilities.”

The release said that all of the information gathered from the EOI will help the board finalize a location for the new building.

“There are many factors that come into play when deciding a location for a main library,” Barber said. “We need to do right by our community in balancing the best location with the best value for money.”

The search for a possible different location comes after some city councillors raised concerns about rebuilding on the same spot.

In May of 2023, the board voted to move the downtown branch to a temporary location — likely in the fall of 2024 — due to what it called “concerns with failing building infrastructure and its effects on business continuity” at the current branch.

At that time, the board said the investment needed to maintain the current building would be so great that leasing a temporary location makes more financial sense. The move also would remove the possibility of unplanned closures due to the current building’s state.

“This is an important building for the health of our community, and we need to be making careful, strategic decisions at every step,” Barber said.

The EOI is to remain open until April 5, when the library will begin reviewing the information it gathered from developers.

More information on the library’s renewal can be found here.