A multimillion-dollar learning centre is being pitched for Charlottetown’s downtown core.
Dawn Alan, executive director of Downtown Charlottetown Inc., unveiled the concept Monday to members of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown.
Alan hopes to see the ground floor of the Dominion Building house more than 40,000 square feet of space for a new library, media studio, art gallery, café, computer labs, gift shop and public space.
“Libraries are not just libraries anymore, but they are learning centres,’’ she said in her presentation.
Stan MacPherson presented the business plan for the proposed project, estimating the overall cost at roughly $14 million with close to $7 million to acquire the ground floor and another $7 million for renovations.
He said an agreement in principal has been reached with both the federal and provincial governments to cover a percentage of the project.
The remainder, MacPherson added, would be covered through fundraising.
“It’s far more than a library,’’ said MacPherson.
“We’re very much at the concept stage, but we’re very much advanced at the concept stage. I think it’s a good one.’’
While the proposed new learning centre would take about one year to complete, there is no set time frame on getting started or for the province’s largest public library to move out of the Confederation Centre of the Arts building.
Alan called the proposed location overlooking Connaught Square in the heart of downtown Charlottetown, “the best spot for a library.’’
Visitation is high to learning centres similar to the one being pitched for the capital city, both Alan and MacPherson noted.
MacPherson added cruise ship passengers and newcomers are big users, in particular, of this type of facility.
At a glance
The Confederation Centre Public Library (CCPL) is a tenant of the Fathers of Confederation Memorial Buildings Trust. As a part of the provincial library service, the CCPL is Charlottetown’s public library.
The facility is maintained by the centre/memorial complex while services are administered by the province. This arrangement and relationship has existed since soon after the centre first opened in 1964.
