The Kingston East library branch will stay right where it is.

City councillors decided not to relocate the branch into the new Kingston East community centre a few blocks away. Instead, they will expand and renovate the existing facility on the northwest corner of Gore Road and Highway 15 at an estimated cost of $5.4 million.

“Let’s expand it where the community wants it,” said Pittsburgh district councillor Ryan Boehme.

Coun. Boehme says the majority of constituents and library users told him that expansion at the current location, which is attached to a 19th century heritage building known as Hawthorne Cottage, remains the best option.

He added: “The identity and character of the library in the district is intrinsically linked to that building.”

Councillors voted 12-0 at their April 17 meeting to proceed with an extensive facelift of the existing library location.

The other option presented to council – moving the entire branch into the proposed community centre near Grenadier Drive and Highway 15 – is estimated at $5.1 million but there would be additional costs to redesign the still-unbuilt community centre to add a second floor, a staff report indicated.

Both options were endorsed by the Kingston Frontenac public library board, leaving it for council to choose.

The Pittsburgh branch library has been the focus of ongoing expansion plans for over a decade, ever since a needs assessment deemed it too small to accommodate rapid residential growth in the city’s east end. The 2018 capital budget had already earmarked $4.6 million to add another 7,000 square feet to the existing library. The extra $800,000 that’s tied to the revised expansion estimate will be financed from reserve funds.

Pittsburgh library branch to get $5.4 million expansion, about $800,000 higher than original estimate.

Councillors spoke about the importance of preserving city-owned heritage buildings.

“Sometimes asset management of heritage properties does cost a little more than a new build,” explained Coun. Jim Neill.

Community services commissioner Lanie Hurdle also informed councillors that the existing location, near the entrance to the new Third Bridge crossing, will not be impacted by the bridge but there will be increased traffic once the transportation link opens.

The Pittsburgh library branch is located near the eastern approach to the new Third Bridge crossing

Chief administrator Gerard Hunt says the extra operating costs of the expanded library “can be absorbed” into existing budget forecasts without impacting property taxes.

There is no exact timeline to begin the Pittsburgh library expansion, but the widening of adjacent Gore Road for the eastern approach to the third bridge is expected to start next year.

Central library branch on Johnson Street is currently in the midst of a $13.8 million modernization

It’s just the latest project in a multi-million dollar modernization of city libraries. The Central Branch on Johnson Street is currently in the midst of a nearly $13.8 million renovation that’s running behind schedule but remains on budget. The 40 year old main branch was originally supposed to reopen this spring, but the extensive work won’t be completed until August or September.