Downtown library for Regina inches closer, REAL gets $4m from council

It took yet another special council meeting for Regina city council to inch forward to building a new downtown library.

In a slim 6-4 vote at a special council meeting on Oct. 1, Mayor Sandra Masters, Councillors Bob Hawkins (Ward 2), John Findura (Ward 5), Andrews Stevens (Ward 3), Jason Mancinelli (Ward 9) and Dan LeBlanc (Ward 6) said no to the reconsideration vote.

Councillors Lori Bresciani (Ward 4), Terina Nelson (Ward 7), Cheryl Stadnichuk (Ward 1) and Shannon Zachidniak (Ward 8) voted yes. Councillor Landon Mohl (Ward 10) was not in attendance. The motion needed the approval of at least six councillors to pass.

With decision to proceed with the original position taken by council, it means the plans for the central library can now move forward, however slowly and frustrating it seems to have taken to get this point.

Back in July, council voted to increase its debt limit to eventually fund the project that could still be a few years away. At that meeting council voted 4-3 to commit between $92 million and $119 million in debt financing for the library project.

There is no timeline nor decision on cost, location or design for replacing the Central Library aside from a general agreement that something needs to be done.

The decision in the summer went against the administration’s recommendation to put off a decision about the debt limit until estimated funding was known for all the projects that Regina council must consider in the coming years.

That includes not just the library but also a new aquatic facility, the wastewater treatment expansion and the overall debt financing capacity of the city.

Council has earmarked $100 million in debt financing for the Water Network Expansion project to upgrade and expand the water network in the city, which includes a new water pumping station, storage reservoirs, and a new 8.4-kilometre water main.

The question of just how much the city will pay for the new aquatic centre is to be decided at a later date.

In August council was told that costs for the project had ballooned from $160.7 million in the capital plan up to $245.1 million. City administration said the $84.4 million increase comes from inflation and increased scope clarity.

$4 million for REAL

In another vote at the special council meeting, council voted in favour of providing Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) $4 million to continue operating.

In an 8-2 vote, only Masters and Stevens voted against. Mohl was in attendance for this vote, with Hawkins away.

It provides some stability for an organization that has faced difficulties in recent years.

REAL operates the Brandt Centre and Mosaic Stadium but has felt the impact of the pandemic and seen upheaval with staff changes at the top. It is is responsible for events like the Queen City Exhibition, Canadian Western Agribition, and the Frost Festival.

— with files from CJME

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