Contractor facing ‘pressure on construction schedule’ for new Ottawa public library at LeBreton Flats

Ādisōke, Ottawa's new central library on June 3, 2025. The 216,000 sq. ft., five-floor facility features many public spaces, shared between the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada. (CTV News Ottawa)

The contractor building Ottawa’s new central library at LeBreton Flats warns the complexity of the work on the new $334 million facility is putting “pressure on the construction schedule,” according to staff.

City staff say the contractor has “signalled” there are pressures on the construction schedule, but doesn’t have a “full schedule” to analyze the main reasons for the delays and to provide an updated timeline to open the facility west of downtown Ottawa.

Ādisōke, a joint venture between Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada, is scheduled to open by the summer of 2026. Councillors on the finance and corporate services committee were told that “work has been progressing very well,” but the contractor is warning pressures may delay the opening.

“Ādisōke’s design is very complex and construction is also complicated, but we have seen tremendous progress,” Tara Blasioli, manager in Infrastructure Services, told councillors Tuesday morning.

“While the structure itself is now complete and the building is enclosed, the project is now into another complex phase where interior finishes are intricate and detailed.”

• The construction story of Adisoke, the new site of the central library, is halfway finished

Blasioli said work that remains to be completed include custom millwork throughout the facility, including desks and furniture, installation of specialized lighting to support programming, and coordinating the art being installed in the new facility.

“Quality is of the upmost importance and we want to make sure all of the complex elements that form part of this project are to the standard that we expect, that they are done right, and this work cannot be rushed,” Blasioli said.

“To that end, the contractor has signalled a pressure on the construction schedule. Earlier in the project, we did see some minor pressures, but they were recovered with the contractor submitting a recovery strategies and mitigation plans that were successful.”

“At this stage of the project, given the complexity of these finishes and the amount of custom work that needs to be completed, the flexibility could be more limited.”

Blasioli says the city has not accepted or validated the pressures from the contractor, and “due diligence” needs to happen and there will be “continued oversight on the schedule.”

The 216,000 sq. ft., five-floor facility includes a large atrium with performance and exhibition spaces, feature staircases and a wooden roof made up of Douglas fir beams and timber panels.

While the contractor is warning of pressures, Blasioli said it’s too early to say whether the pressures will delay the project.

“It’s not just one single reason, there will be probably be a variety or several reasons this pressure is presenting itself now,” Blasioli said in response to a question from Coun. Jeff Leiper.

“The most notable of which is the complexity of the work that is happening inside and the time it is taking to execute those elements with such detail.”

The City of Ottawa is bolstering oversight of the construction, including bringing in third-party expects to oversee the schedule.

Blasioli says the city is also looking at opportunities for “time recovery and mitigation” to ensure the library will open on schedule, including expediting move-in plans and exploring scenarios that could allow for cohabitation.

The City of Ottawa is spending $201 million on the new library, while Library and Archives Canada committed $132.7 million.