Ottawa Public Library plans new chapter in Old Hunt Club neighbourhood

(File Photo/CTV News Ottawa)

The Ottawa Public Library is looking to write a new chapter in the Old Hunt Club neighbourhood.

A report for the Ottawa Public Library Board meeting Tuesday evening recommends staff begin developing a branch to serve the Old Hunt Club neighbourhood, with a targeted opening in the spring or summer of 2027.

The item passed unanimously Tuesday afternoon.

Board chair Coun. Matt Luloff thanked the South Hunt Club community for its advocacy over the years after the item passed.

“I know that you’ve been quite patient, and I know that the wheels of democracy and bureaucracy turn slowly, so I do appreciate giving us the opportunity to develop the frameworks and develop the evaluation criteria that led to the identification of this gap and the subsequent filling of it,” he said.

A new library in Old Hunt Club is third on the list of priority projects for growth, expansion and renewal planned over the next 20 years.

Staff say while a location near the Hunt Club Riverside Park Community Centre is “ideal for a library branch” to serve the community, there is no “immediate opportunity for a suitable library facility to be incorporated on the site.”

“Additionally, there are no viable vacant sites for a new facility in the community. As a result, staff recommend exploring opportunities for a leased site near Hunt Club Riverside Park Community Centre,” staff said in the report.

“Based on current market conditions, lease costs are estimated at $160,000 to $180,000 annually. It should also be noted that regardless of the acquisition type (build, lease, etc.) each option requires capital funding to design and construct the interior branch components and provide furniture, equipment, and collections. Staff estimate that $2 million is required as a capital investment for leased space.”

Staff estimate compensation requirements for the new branch will be $750,000 for eight full-time positions, along with $50,000 to $60,000 per year in operating and maintenance costs.

Staff are targeting project planning and design phases in 2026, with construction beginning in 2027. A targeted opening date for the new library in Old Hunt Club is expected in the second or third quarter of 2027.

The Ottawa Public Library currently has 33 branches and the James Bartleman Library Materials Distribution Centre.