CCM Construction Ltd. of Sidney has been chosen to construct the new state-of-the-art library in Chemainus.
“This is an exciting development that I know has been a long time coming for library lovers in Chemainus,” noted Rosemary Bonanno, Vancouver Island Regional Library’s executive director. “With the contract soon to be awarded, we can take the final step towards shovels in the ground. I would like to thank everyone in the community for their patience and understanding throughout this process.”
“This is a big step forward in the development of the new library and so exciting for the Chemainus community,” said Municipality of North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring. “North Cowichan has long-supported the realization of this new branch, providing a long-term lease to VIRL for the site on Willow Street.”
“This is an exciting development for the entire North Cowichan region,” added Brenda Leigh, chair of the VIRL’s board of trustees. “As the newly-appointed board chair and with Debra Toporowski as the new trustee for North Cowichan, the news that shovels will soon be in the ground for the Chemainus library is a wonderful development so early in our tenures. The people of Chemainus have waited patiently for this day to arrive. I am thrilled that your new library is moving forward.”
The tender process was extended from the original Oct. 31 deadline to Nov. 21 to ensure all questions from prospective bidders were answered. The bid evaluations and final negotiations with CCM concluded last week.
Once the contract is signed and a construction timeline is furnished to VIRL by CCM, it will be made publicly available.
The plan encompasses all aspects of the project, including construction, furniture, IT infrastructure and more.
The library will feature many amenities, including: 5,000 square feet of floor space; increased staffing levels; expanded hours of operation; a larger opening day collection with many new materials; an expanded program schedule; more public computers; a vibrant children’s area; a lounging area with fireplace; a laptop bar; study space and a bookable multipurpose room.
The library will be located at 9796 Willow St., a vacant property owned by North Cowichan. It’s a key project in the Chemainus Town Centre Revitalization Plan adopted in November of 2011.