The riverscape here is going to become a major attraction if organizers have their way – and most people at a public meeting to see the landscaping proposal for the new library June 27 seemed to like what they saw.
Wellington County is building a $5 million addition to the Carnegie library on St. Andrew Street, but Centre Wellington chief administrative officer Michael Wood said the meeting’s focus was on plans for what is going to surround the building on the north side of the Grand River.
He said a major issue is “what’s going to be left of the parking, and how it configures. There’s going to be a reduction in parking, for sure.”
The library itself will run south of the current building and the two-storey addition will match the height of buildings on the main street, according to architect Steve Burrows, of +VG Architects, of Bradford, which is designing the addition.
“The whole riverscape is going to be redeveloped,” he said.
Burrows said the library will offer a spectacular view, because the south end of the new building will overlook the river and the gorge that cuts through Fergus. He said there will be “floor to ceiling glass” for that view, with built in deflectors to keep things cool in summer while allowing in sunlight in winter.
Burrows added there will be seating and a terrace in a “quiet area” outdoors.
The entire building will be wheelchair accessible, and Burrows said the renovations will maintain the library facade. Wellington County has spent over a decade renewing its libraries and it decided years ago to protect all of its Carnegie libraries.
Those were built at the turn of the last century, paid for by Andrew Carnegie, an American industrialist who is considered the second richest man in history. He worked his way up from poverty in the 1860s using libraries for his education, and he gave away most of his fortune building libraries in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain by the early 1930s.
There are a half dozen Carnegie libraries in Wellington County, and Fergus is the last to undergo major work.
But, while the entrance facing St. Andrew Street will remain, much of the interior will be gutted and rebuilt. Burrows said the stairs at the front entrance will be returned to what they were over 30 years ago, and some blocked in windows will be reopened.
“The building’s going to be a great resource to the community,” he predicted, and noted that the outside at the rear of the building will change and allow events along the river.
County councillor and library board committee member Shawn Watters explained to the over 85 people who attended the open house there will be a loss of about 25 parking spaces when the library is extended to the south. There will be a walkway that connects Templin Gardens to the west, and a reconfiguring of the parking lot.
Currently, people can park in the lot up to the curbed edge, which means no one can circle the lot to look for a space. That will change so people can enter the two way entrance off St. Andrew Street, and the exit to St. David Street will likely become a one-way exit street with a defined pedestrian walkway.
Watters said there will still be some private parking at the Old Livery building that fronts onto St. David Street, and there will be parking for the businesses that are close to the Fergus Grand Theatre.
He said, “People are asking about the parking,” but added there have always been parking issues in Fergus and Elora.
“We’ve always had a problem indicating where parking is. There are now ‘P’ signs popping up, and way finding signs, too,” that direct visitors to parking areas.
Watters said the former OPP building on St. Andrew Street is available for parking, particularly after hours. It now houses a division of the county’s social services department.
He said places like Stratford and Niagara-on-the-Lake have parking issues, too, but that is an indication there are lots of people in those communities.
“If people are complaining about parking, it tells me they are doing very well … People have a desire to be there,” he said.
He added, “It’s not just a library. It’s a draw for the downtown.”
The Fergus Business Improvement Area is enthusiastic. The work around the library is an extension of a major project that opened this year, the lighting at night of the river. It is hoping to make the area attractive to many more people.
BIA president Jackie Fraser explained to a number of people at the open house there will even be a permanent Christmas tree for winter festivities. The walkway along the fence at the river will feature permanent mature trees that provide shade and make the area more inviting.
“It brings life back to the river,” she said, adding that Fergus has a treasure that has been under-utilized. “People would give their eye teeth for what we’ve got.”
She said when the work is completed there could be such things as jazz concerts one two different stages and even a beer tent for special events.
She pointed out the town has been using a major attraction as “a parking lot.”
She predicted it will become “a nice place to be at night – a people place.”
Fraser added the renewed riverscape will increase property values in the area and aid businesses there. There will even be picnic tables at the lookout, giving some the opportunity to provide snacks and lunches for such things as outdoor picnics and dining.
One woman asked her if there will be time limits on parking in the area.
Fraser admitted there are problems with parking, but some of them can be fixed. She said there are 10 to 15 people who park at the lot now all day and catch a bus into the city. She said moving that pick-up point to, possibly, the Sportsplex, could free up those spaces and mitigate the loss of 25 spaces.
Also, reconfiguring the parking across the river at the Fergus Marketplace could provide more parking a short walk away.
“Parking is an issue, but it’s not insurmountable,” she said, adding, “The benefits outweigh the cost of parking.”
The BIA held its own meeting on June 25, where members had an opportunity to see the plans.
BIA treasurer George Mochrie said the 20 members attending were “almost exclusively positive.”
“Parking comes up, but when you explain the overall design, people are happy the project is moving forward,” he said.
Citizens were given an opportunity to comment on the plans and many of them took advantage of that to tell the BIA and council their ideas for the area.
