New library first P3 for River City

by Jeremy Deutsch - Kamloops This Week - June 15, 2008

The sun shone brightly on the North Shore Thursday as city and Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) officials announced the new North Kamloops Library. Library Square, in the heart of the North Shore on Tranquille Road, is a unique private-public partnership or P3 — the first of its kind in Kamloops — that will combine the library with a 140-145 residential unit development. The TNRD has partnered with Tri-City Contracting. The total development area is 185,000 square feet, with 20,000 for the library, another 14,000 for two commercial areas, and a remaining 150,000 square feet for condos. The development is valued at $30 million — $6 million of that for the library. The province, along with the feds, chipped in another $2 million in grants. Peter Milobar, TNRD chairman and city councillor, said the TNRD board took the P3 route to avoid putting the total cost on the backs of the taxpayer.Milobar said the move saved tax-payers $1.5 million.

The development is also unique because it’s the first air-space parcel subdivision in Kamloops, which allows the library and condo strata to act separately from each other. Once complete, the new library will be more than double the size of the current library, outfitted with computer labs, a reading garden, art gallery and more room for staff. The residential component will stand six storeys tall, built in two phases. The first phase will offer 90 units ranging from 600 to 1,250 square feet. The 15,000 square-feet of commercial space will front Tranquille, but no tenants have committed to the space. And like many new developments in the city, the building will have an environmentally friendly design exceeding the Model National Energy Code and meet Gold LEED standards. Milobar said the development suits the neighbourhood. “It fits in well with the city’s vision for the North Shore Neighbourhood Plan and how we want green buildings,” he said.

As Kamloops enters into its first P3, other cities across the province have had success with their own partnerships, including the town of Qualicum Beach. The city was one of the first to enter into a P3 10 years ago, building a new library, town hall and town square. The city owned the land, but allowed a private developer to build all the structures, including a commercial building. The city paid rent for 10 years on the structures and, at the end of the decade, bought the library and hall for $1. Paul Butler, director of planning for Qualicum Beach, said the partnership was successful for the city and the developer. “It would have been difficult for the town to do this on our own,” he said. He said the key to a successful P3 is making sure all the legal aspects of the agreement are covered. Butler noted the city worked closely with a lawyer who specialized in P3s at the time.“It’s just hashing [an agreement] out and everybody feels that it’s a win-win,” he said.“It’s got to be good for everybody.”

Kevin Kierans, director of libraries for the TNRD, is also excited about the new library. He said libraries do many things, but they also act as a symbol of a community’s faith in itself. “Building a new complex like this including the library is a great symbol for Kamloops’ pride,” Kierans said.The library is expected to be complete by March 2010.