New Central Library Development

Greater Sudbury Public Library Moving Forward with Next Phase in New Central Library Development

Thursday, November 2 2023

GREATER SUDBURY - The Greater Sudbury Public Library (GSPL) is moving forward with the next phase in the development of the New Central Library in collaboration with City of Greater Sudbury Council and staff, as well as our long-standing project partners, the Art Gallery of Sudbury and Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association.

While the final decision to relocate the library’s central branch to Tom Davies Square has not yet been made, the Greater Sudbury Public Library Board has endorsed the evaluation work of Library staff completed to date and has committed to further development of a design concept for the New Central Library within the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square.

“Locating the Library’s new central branch within Tom Davies Square has the potential to reinvigorate an iconic building which represents the very heart of Greater Sudbury” comments Michael Bellmore, Chair of the Greater Sudbury Public Library Board. “This location maintains the vision we developed for Junction East, while adapting existing City-owned infrastructure rather than building new.”

Brian Harding, CEO and Chief Librarian, explains “the central branch is designed to provide specialized services to our entire community while also supporting our network of branches across Greater Sudbury. Locating the central library within the Tom Davies Square complex, as part of the proposed cultural hub, presents significant opportunities for greater accessibility, enhanced service delivery, and operational efficiency.” Mr. Harding adds, “the public library is community space: a place to gather, to work, to learn. A place which is safe and welcoming for all. We are excited about the potential to bring this community space to the City’s civic square.”

GSPL and its project partners have been evaluating alternative locations for a co-located cultural hub following a pause of the Junction East project in February 2023. This evaluation process has identified Tom Davies Square as the best alternative option for a cultural hub.

Next stages in the development include finalization of a conceptual design, preliminary budget development, and initial stakeholder consultation. It is anticipated that a detailed proposal will be presented to City of Greater Sudbury Council by the end of 2023 for approval.