The future location of Ottawa's new flagship library is a lot closer to being decided.
The Ottawa Public Library Board voted Tuesday night to approve the staff recommendation to build at 557 Wellington Street, at the edge of Lebreton Flats just west of Bronson Avenue.
The city already owns the 3.5 acre property.
Over 20 public delegations spoke to the board at the Tuesday night meeting. A majority were opposed to the site, citing concerns over location and accessibility.
The Chair of the Library Board, Councillor Tim Tierny, disagrees. "It's exactly what we're looking for," he said. "And we've heard form the experts. Morton Schmidt, the one that did the Halifax library, made it very clear, this is the site you should build it there. I think we've had all the experts come in, they all keep saying the same thing, And I'm very excited about it. We're finally at this day. It's taken a long time to get here."
Before the public presentations, the Board released a new survey that showed support for the site. Nanos Research surveyed 1,000 residents and found that 72% prefered the city-owned site over two alternatives.
In the end the Board voted 8 to 1 in favour of the Wellington site.
The only dissenting voice was Councillor Catherine McKenney, who worries that moving the central library more west will leave more vulnerable users behind. "The core of the city, in Centretown, Rideau Vanier just across the canal, is where a lot of folks live who don't have vehicles, who don't drive," she said.
The $168 million facility will be a joint project with Library and Archives Canada.
