Brant County Library Project Didn’t Die Over Issue ‘Of Spending $ 40 million… It died because it didn’t have enough parking spaces’

An Ambitious Project to Repurpose The Form Paris Old Town Hall Into A Community Hub and the New Main Branch for the County of Brant Public Library Will Not Go Forward As Planned.

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Discussions for a New Library Began Nearly A Decade Ago, and in 2021, Council approved the Restoration and Library Project, which Had Many Vocal Supporters but also drew concern, Large Over the Mounting Price Tag.

But in the end, the project as proposed Didn’t Die Over Issue “Of Spending $ 40 million… It died because it didn’t have enough parking spaces,” coun. Steve Howes Said During Council Tuesday Night.

Things Looked Good for the Bawcutt Center Library at the Start of the Evening-A Zoning bylaw Amendment and $ 35.4-Million Construction Contract Both Had Staff Endorsment Going Into the Meeting.

The Building in Question is Thusht to be the Oldest Surviving Example of Secular Neo-Gothic Architecture in Canada.

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It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada and Named the Bawcutt Center in Honour of the Late Jack Bawcutt, Mayor of Paris for 17 Years, After His Daughter, Form Paris Resident and “Degrassi” Franchise Co-Creator Linda Schuyler, Donated $ 1 million To the County to help them buy the Building.

In 2021, The County Approached the Library With the Suggestion of Restoring The Building for the New Main Branch.

It was one of five sites that had been considered on county-obned land-Including at a revamped syl apps youth center.

The Project was set to be the first certified net-zero carbon national historical space in canada and “finully” a barrier-free place to physicalely Welcome to all community members, Library Board vice-chair Marilyn Sewell Told Council on Tuesday.

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But it was not meant to be.

While Some Councillors Pointed Out that Many Old Venues – Including Local Churches – Have limited parking, the Majority of Them Didn’t Allowing the Project to Move Forward with Only 27 Parking Spaces On Site, when bylaw necessaryitated 99.

Coun. John Bell Pointed Out the Hypocrisy of Denying Similar Requests from Developers, if they made such a big concession for their project.

Without the Zoning Amendments, the Construction Couldn’t Move Forward As Designed, So Although the Mayor and Councillors Repeatedly Reiterated Support of Both a New Library and Repurpose the Bawcutt Center Building, They also Turned Down the Construction Tender on Advice from their Lawyer.

Bill Zister (collaborative structures Limited CEO), coun. John Macalpine, Kelly Bernstein (Library CEO), Fred Glading (Library Board Chair) and Linda Schuyler Had High Hopes Walking Into Council on Tuesday.

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The Outcome Left The Bawcutt Family “Deeply disappointed and discourage” After “Years of Hard Work, Professional Recommendations, Goodwill, Private Philanthropy, and Public Expending and Input” Were Overturned “On a Trivial Technicality,” Schuyler Told the spectator on Wednesday.

The Library Board and Staff also Left “Deeply Disheartned” Asyy Believed they did all they could to add up council’s concerns and follow their “Expricit Directions,” flesh Fred Glading Said on Wednesday.

In an Emailed Stament, Glading Told the Spectator the Board Had “Every Reason to Expect” Council Would Award the Construction Tender – Particularly As It Came in Below the Budget they presented in June 2023.

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Glassding Pointed to the Years of Work “By Some of Ontario’s Most Talented and Qualified Architects, Contractors, and Library Experts,” Now Abandoned, Along with the $ 4 Million “And Counting” Alredy Poured Poured Into the Project.

Bailey Told Council Chambers He felt the Issue Had Become “Too Political” and their Decision Shouldn’t Be “a Black Eye.”

“The bawcutt people will be happy, the library people will be happy, just not with that model that’s in front of us Today,” he said.

Council Direct Staff to prepare a report for the March Council Meeting, Offering Next Steps for a Restored Bawcutt Center Project and A Central Library Branch.

Glassding Said He Looks Forward to “A Day when we can work collaboratingly with County Council to build the Library that we need right now.”

Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a local journalism initiative reporter based at the hamilton spectator. The Initiative is Funded by the Government of Canada.

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