CBRM council told new library should be built on site of existing facility

Tom Ayers · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 01, 2025 4:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

After much than 15 years of statement implicit assorted locations, a caller survey says Cape Breton Regional Municipality should physique a caller cardinal room connected the tract of the existing installation successful downtown Sydney.

The Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Library committee hired Dartmouth-based consulting firm Fathom Studios last twelvemonth to measure 5 properties successful oregon adjacent downtown Sydney. The existent determination connected Falmouth Street came successful first.

Deputy Mayor Eldon MacDonald said helium hoped Falmouth Street would beryllium fixed "strong consideration."

"That would beryllium my preference," helium said.

MacDonald, a erstwhile room committee seat whose territory includes downtown Sydney, said the large trouble volition beryllium uncovering a impermanent determination to location the room portion the 65-year-old gathering is demolished and a caller 1 is built.

But helium said that would beryllium a bully occupation to have, if it results successful a modern library.

In summation to the existing James McConnell Memorial Library site, the board's survey included the aged courthouse connected Wentworth Park, which respective councillors rejected past twelvemonth arsenic unsuitable.

A $35,000 survey recovered the gathering could beryllium repurposed to location a library, but MacDonald said it was 60 years aged and raised excessively galore questions.

The room committee survey besides looked astatine the bare Bargain Shop storefront connected Charlotte Street, the bare and decrepit gathering that utilized to location the Cape Breton Post connected Dorchester, and an bare batch astatine the country of Prince and George streets.

Study looked astatine costs, adjacent amenities, view

The survey recovered the existent library site scored 84 per cent of the full imaginable marks for criteria specified arsenic expected operation costs, biology concerns, proximity to autobus routes, daycare and different amenities, and presumption of the waterfront.

The bare buildings and the bare batch tied successful 2nd spot with a people of 62 per cent, portion the courthouse ranked past astatine 47 per cent.

The study, which was included successful CBRM's committee of the full docket for Tuesday, was not discussed due to the fact that the advisor was incapable to beryllium successful Sydney owed to the weather.

Mayor Cecil Clarke said the survey volition travel earlier a aboriginal meeting, wherever assembly volition person to determine wherever it lies connected the precedence database for funding.

If assembly does spell up with a caller library, they'll person to determine betwixt backing the superior operation oregon leasing from a builder, helium said.

Clarke said portion the existing room determination is an evident prime for a caller facility, there's nary warrant that'll beryllium the last location.

"I've learned 1 happening erstwhile it comes to this taxable of the room [and that] is you don't presume anything, but that is the proposal and I volition permission that for council," helium said.

In 2018, a section developer agreed to physique a caller room connected Sydney's downtown waterfront, wherever the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club utilized to be, but successful 2021, assembly refused to widen the deal, saying the $32-million terms tag was excessively steep.

MacDonald said the existing room determination is simply a bully one because 1 of the Nova Scotia Community College's caller buildings successful downtown Sydney is crossed the thoroughfare and it has been designed to link by pedway to the library's existent site.

NSCC and the YMCA a artifact distant some person daycare facilities, arsenic well, helium said.

MacDonald said erstwhile a determination is finalized by council, it volition person to question funding, travel up with a plan and person the caller installation built.

He said helium hopes a caller room could beryllium unfastened to the nationalist successful astir 4 years.

Clark said aged estimates enactment the outgo of a caller room astatine $30 million, which is astir apt higher present with inflation.

CBRM has acceptable speech $1.5 cardinal toward a caller library, but different levels of authorities would person to supply immoderate financing, helium said.

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