New Central Library

City Council Meeting Wrap-Up: April 17, 2024

The City of Greater Sudbury is pleased to announce that Teeple Architects has been selected as the Consultant for the design of the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square, in a collaborative partnership with Two Row Architect and Yallowega Architecture.

A Request for Proposal (RFP) for the project was issued on December 22, 2023 and the contract was awarded to this team following a thorough evaluation of eight submissions.

“I am so pleased to see the selection of this team that has demonstrated incredible success with similar projects, and I look forward to working with Teeple, Two Row and Yallowega to move this project forward,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre. “This project will be a catalyst for the revitalization of our downtown, establishing a contemporary, accessible and welcoming space for people to connect with art, information and each other.”

Over the past 35 years, Teeple Architects has cultivated technical expertise in complex renewals of aging institutions and municipal buildings from the 1960s and 1970s, with a specific focus on enhanced sustainability and accessibility. The firm most recently led the design for the renewal of the Stanley A. Milner Library in Edmonton, which saw an aging 1960s concrete facility transformed into a bold and welcoming central library and community hub.

Two Row Architect brings an invaluable Indigenous perspective, and Yallowega Architecture offers local insight and representation. Together, the core consulting team offers a long history of successful collaboration.

City Council approved plans for the development of the cultural hub in November 2023. The project will involve retrofitting both 200 Brady St. and 199 Larch St. to include a new Central Library, the Art Gallery of Sudbury and the Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association.

The project will provide residents with a variety of services in one convenient centralized location, and supports the City’s commitment to accessibility, environmental sustainability, multiculturalism, social inclusion and culture.

As next steps, the design team will join staff for a presentation to Council later this spring, followed by the start of the schematic design. Public consultation will be incorporated into various stages of the project. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2025.

For more information about the Cultural Hub and other Large Projects, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/largeprojects 

Additional Direction Regarding the Design of the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square

Council provided additional direction to staff regarding design features of the planned Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square. Specifically, Council directed staff to identify cost estimates for including ramp access between each of the facility’s four floors when completing the schematic design for the redesigned space.

For more details on these and other items from this week’s meetings, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/city-hall/mayor-and-council/meetings-agendas-and-minutes

City Council Meeting Wrap-Up – November 28, 2023

At a special City Council meeting on November 28, Council approved plans for the development of a Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square. This will involve retrofitting both 200 Brady St. and 199 Larch St. to include a new Central Library, the Art Gallery of Sudbury and the Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association.

The project will provide residents with a variety of services in one convenient centralized location, and supports the City’s commitment to accessibility, environmental sustainability, multiculturalism, social inclusion and culture.

To make room for these new services at Tom Davies Square, a Municipal Services Relocation project will move some municipal services from 200 Brady St. to the provincial tower at 199 Larch St. This is made possible by post-pandemic changes to the Province’s business operations, which has made a significant amount of space available within 199 Larch St.

The new direction for the project stems from a Council resolution in February 2023, where Council directed staff to explore alternatives for the Junction East project, in order to balance the achievement of project goals with the economic realities faced by the municipality. Through this analysis, a retrofit of Tom Davies Square emerged as the best cost-effective alternative for the project. This allows the City to consider the cost savings for additional capital projects to further enhance quality of life for residents.

Creating a Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square provides several benefits including enhancing the number of services for residents in one location, making use of existing municipal assets and realizing operating cost savings compared to building a new facility.

Transforming the existing City Hall facility serves as a catalyst for further downtown revitalization by establishing an accessible, inviting, contemporary, people-oriented space for connecting residents to each other as well as to art, information and technology. It also contributes to municipal economic development and tourism goals.

Council approved amended resolutions, changing the total project budget from $68.8 million to $65 million. This includes up to $37 million in municipal funding, with funds provided by debt already secured for this project. If funding from Cultural Hub partners and/or external funding sources is less than anticipated, Council approved the provision of additional municipal funds up to the approved budget amount, using funds from the previously secured debt for this project, to an upset limit of $64.5 million.

Staff will now work on issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the design of the new Cultural Hub and Municipal Services Relocation projects. It is expected that the RFP will be awarded in early 2024 and schematic design work will begin in Q2 2024. The design for the renovated facility will continue to follow and build upon the vision and themes identified during the Junction East community engagement process in 2021.

For full details, read the November 28 Report to Council. For more information on the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square and the City’s other Large Projects, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/largeprojects.

City Council Meeting Wrap-Up – September 26, 2023

The City Council meeting on September 26 included updates on the proposed Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square and the Greater Sudbury Event Centre.

Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square and Junction East

Staff updated Council on the work being done to explore the potential of housing a new central branch library, art gallery and multicultural centre at Tom Davies Square, as well as the potential relocation of some municipal services to implement this project.

Staff will continue to work with project partners to develop the details of the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square. They will return to Council on December 5, 2023, with a detailed update report that will include draft conceptual designs and a projected budget for both the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square and the Municipal Services Relocation projects. The report is expected to include recommendations for Council’s consideration that will provide direction to move forward with this option.

Event Centre

Council directed staff to further explore both the renovation and the new build options for the Sudbury Community Arena. This additional analysis will have an estimated combined cost of up to $200,000, funded through the Event Centre Project budget.

A report will be brought back to Council in March 2024 and will include:

• Results of the analysis on the current Sudbury Community Arena.
• A recommended process and timeline for the design and construction of a renovated facility as part of the redevelopment of the South District that mitigates any impact on current tenants.
• A recommended process to construct and open a new build facility in 2027/2028.
• An initial evaluation of the potential of both options to attract complementary investment as part of a larger redevelopment of the South District.
• An estimated budget to complete each project option, based on City Council's 2017 list of required features for a new event centre, along with options for enhancements or reductions. 
• A potential financing plan for both options.

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City Council Meeting Wrap-Up – July 11, 2023

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Junction East

Staff provided Council with an update on the library/art gallery/multicultural initiative (Junction East). In February, Council directed staff to explore two alternative approaches to fulfill the project’s original goals:

• analyze the potential for a redesign of the facility to reflect a total project cost of $65 million, and
• investigate the possibility of retrofitting existing infrastructure downtown.

A $65 million dollar budget would require a 53 per cent reduction in the original design’s available space. This would make the vision, business and operational plans for the library and art gallery unworkable. As a result, further investigation of constructing a new facility for $65 million will not occur.

Staff also investigated the possibility of retrofitting existing downtown facilities and identified 200 Brady St. (Tom Davies Square) as the best alternative location for this initiative. Retrofitting Tom Davies Square represents an opportunity to realize capital cost savings while allowing the cultural hub to meet overall project goals. Council supported staff’s plan to continue exploring this option and to bring recommendations to the September 26 Council meeting.

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Mayor Lefebvre Introduces Motion to Reimagine the Junction East Cultural Hub

Mayor Lefebvre Introduces Motion to Reimagine the Junction East Cultural Hub

At the Tuesday, February 21 City Council meeting, Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre introduced a motion directing staff to modify the Junction East Cultural Hub.

The motion, which was passed unanimously, aims to balance the achievement of the overarching goals of the Junction East project with current economic realities faced by the municipality.

“I strongly believe in the vision of the Junction East Cultural Hub project,” said Mayor Lefebvre. “I know that, together with our partners, we can reimagine this project to support the vibrancy of our downtown at a price tag that takes into account the competing investment needs of our municipal infrastructure.”

The motion directs staff to bring back analysis and recommendations to further explore two options:
- Reconfigure existing high-value infrastructure and community-owned buildings in downtown Sudbury to create effective shared spaces or partnerships that will result in sustainable, efficient operations over the long term; and
- Redesign the Junction East Cultural Hub to reflect total project cost of approximately $65 million and continues to reflect the desired outcome of a project that will be an enduring source of community pride.
“The information I’ve requested through this motion will allow us to see this important project become a reality using a responsible and innovative approach,” continued Mayor Lefebvre. “I want to thank our project partners for their ongoing collaboration and dedication as we embark on this new phase of the Junction East Cultural Hub.”

The report with analysis and recommendation is scheduled to be presented to City Council by the end of June 2023. Work on the current configuration of the Junction East Cultural Hub project will be put on hold as staff works with the project partners, the Greater Sudbury Public Library, the Sudbury Multicultural Folk Arts Association, and the Art Gallery of Sudbury to analyze the alternate approaches that fulfill the project's original goals. The project is currently at Detailed Design, and the contract with the architect allows for a pause in work at this phase.

1. Do people even use libraries anymore? 

The answer is an emphatic yes! GSPL had over a million transactions in 2019, and an average of about ¾ of a million in-person visits per year.

People use libraries to:

• access the internet
• borrow snowshoes
• use a 3D printer
• create resumes and apply for jobs
• attend virtual appointments
• research their family tree
• learn how to use their iPad or e-reader
• attend story times, book clubs, craft drop-ins and other programs
• borrow laptops and internet hotspots
• use a sewing machine
• take home Provincial Park passes
• and much more!

. . . and a lot of people borrow books too!

GSPL does amazing things at our current Main library, but the New Central Library will allow us to do so much more for the community. On opening day at the New Central Library, we will: 

• Bridge the digital divide and be a hub for innovation and creativity through our new and improved Makerspace
• Teach 21st Century literacies and nurture life-long learning with our expanded computer access and physical collection areas
• Preserve and promote local history and culture with the Local History Reading Room and environmentally controlled storage
• Empower democracy & civic engagement through our expanded offering of public meeting rooms (including after-hours access)
• Champion Truth & Reconciliation with Indigenous communities by honouring Indigenous perspectives, culture and history  

• Deliver efficient and cost-effective library services 
• Respond to evolving community needs through agile spaces, flexible services and innovative programming 
• Sustain the library as an accessible, inclusive and free civic space 
• Enliven our downtown as a vibrant cultural hub 
• Build community resilience for climate change adaptation 

• GSPL brings over $50 million in economic to our community every year
• A 2019 report by McSweeny & Associates states that every dollar invested in the library creates a $7.71 magnified economic benefit to the City of Greater Sudbury
• In 2019, our collection created a $18 Million benefit to the community, and our technology and Makerspace brought a $17.1 Million benefit
• By increasing collections, computer access and the Makerspace, we will increase the economic benefits
• We also support job seekers, language learners, students and business owners, and will support downtown revitalization through increased pedestrian traffic and eyes on the street

There have been studies calling for a New Central Library since 1990 - that's over three decades.   Investing in Junction East now is the right decision because: 

• Right now we can co-locate and share costs with the Art Gallery of Sudbury and the Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association
• Costs keep increasing - the basic repair costs for our current building more than doubled between condition assessments (2012 to 2019) and are now in the millions of dollars
• The opportunity cost to the community continues to rise, as we make do with our insufficient building. We are doing great things, but we could do so much more in a new building