City finance committee approves $65M more for new library
City councillors have unanimously approved spending an extra $65 million in city money on Ottawa’s new super library project at LeBreton Flats.
The finance and economic development committee voted 10-0 for the additional spending, which city staff say is necessary due to construction inflation.
The joint project with Library and Archives Canada, named Adisoke, is now expected to cost $306 million, up from an estimated $175 million price tag in 2018.
That’s not including the cost of a 200-spot underground parking garage, which has increased to $28 million, $10 million more than originally estimated.
In urging councillors to approve the spending Tuesday, Mayor Jim Watson said the city only knows the real cost of such projects once the tenders come in. The lowest bid, from PCL Construction, came in at $334 million.
“To suggest this is a cost overrun is not true. This is obviously costing additional dollars … but we’ve also been told the legitimate reasons why this is taking place,” he said.
The city included a contingency for 10 per cent escalation in 2018, but construction costs have inflated by 65 per cent, according to the staff report.
“Delaying major infrastructure investments only ends up costing us a lot more later on,” Watson added. “City-building projects are always costly, and they’re not always easy.”
The federal treasury board has already approved funding for its half of the project.
The library is also now scheduled to reopen in mid-2026 instead of 2025.
Council will vote on the budget increase on Oct. 27.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.