Central Library Renewal

We are pleased by City Council’s decision to approve our special mill rate request for Central Library Renewal.

Council gave its nod to the request as part of its budget deliberations in mid December 2025.

In 2026, a new Central Library in downtown Regina will cost the average homeowner 96 cents per month, or $11.52 per year.

The average homeowner is described by the City of Regina as owning a home with an assessed value of approx. $315,000. The amount paid will be scaled based on assessed property value.

Renewing Central Library is a vital investment in our city’s future, and it’s clear that Council understands the need for this important social infrastructure in our city.

Regina Public Library posted its Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to the SaskTenders website as a first step in finding a developer to help construct a renewed Central Library.

Select proponents from the RFQ will be invited to participate in a Request for Proposals (RFP) competition in early 2026. RPL expects a developer to be chosen by mid 2026.

For more information on the RFQ and its requirements, please visit the SaskTenders website and search for Regina Public Library.

Regina is a big step closer to having its own modern downtown library.

At its regular Board meeting on Sept 23, the RPL Board of Directors approved a motion to move forward with a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify a developer partner for a renewed Central Library.

“We are excited to be moving forward with a renewed Central Library for Regina,” Board Chair Marj Gavigan said. “It’s been a long time coming but we’re making progress, and it feels great.”

The RFQ will be released in early October and is the first part of a two-step process. Select proponents from the RFQ will be invited to participate in a Request for Proposals (RFP) competition in early 2026. RPL expects a developer to be chosen by mid 2026.
“Developers have reached out to confirm their interest in this project,” Gavigan said. “We’ve heard from businesses not just in Regina, but elsewhere in Canada and other countries.”

Developers will be subject to an affordability cap to keep costs within the library’s budget. Proposals may include renovating or enhancing current structures, building new, sharing space with another tenant, or similar scenarios.

“At this point, we’re open to anything,” Gavigan said. “The community needs something long-lasting, affordable, and incredible, and we look forward to seeing developers’ ideas.”

Gavigan stressed that community involvement is key to ensuring a practical and useful space. “Once we’re at the stage where we’re designing the interior, we will reach out to engage our community,” she said.
The move toward a renewed Central comes after years of concerns raised by RPL about the state of the current building. Costs to update building infrastructure far outweigh the benefits, and critical issues can’t be addressed with temporary fixes.

Presently, RPL is preparing to move a portion of its Central collections, and some administrative functions, to an off-site location. The move helps ensure city-wide and province-wide circulation and other back-office work can continue in the event Central is forced to close due to the building’s significant deficiencies. All materials will still be available through the province-wide catalogue.

The move is expected to take place in early November.

We spoke with Regina City Council on March 17, 2025 to discuss Regina Public Library’s 2025 Mill Rate Requests.

Board Chair Marj Gavigan spoke directly to City Council about these requests.

You can watch Marj’s presentation to City Council on MyAccess.ca (starting at 44:25) or read on to see what Marj had to say…

Regina Public Library Mill Rate Request Presentation

RPL is requesting two motions for separate mill rate requests – one for the annual operational mill rate and one for the Central Library Renewal that was agreed to in principle in 2024.

Operational mill rate increase

Marj Gavigan, Chair, RPL Board of Directors

We are requesting a 4.58% increase for our operations. That’s about $0.80/month for the average homeowner.

Requesting an increase is not something we take lightly, especially in these uncertain economic times.

This amount ensures we can continue to provide programs and services for Reginans.

Libraries are essential in tough economic times.

They provide a lifeline for people in the community, with free access to education, job resources, the Internet, and support services that help individuals and families navigate change.

For many years, we have kept our mill rate low to lighten the load for taxpayers.

Unfortunately, that’s not something we can continue.

We are serious about our role as effective stewards of the public’s money.

We have assessed and discussed our budget and mill rate request and approved a budget with no reasonable flexibility before delivering it to you.

The amount we are requesting is absolutely necessary to our operational wellbeing.

We are appearing before City Council to confirm your support for a renewed Central Library.

A central library is the heart of a city, and its intellectual and cultural life.

It’s a living, breathing institution that grows and evolves with the community.

In Regina, that growth has, for many years, been curtailed by our current building.

A new Central Library will transform our city, and our downtown.

It will be a hub for education, culture, innovation, and community engagement.

It will create opportunities, foster connections, and shape the city’s future.

Central Library Renewal is something we’ve worked on for a long time.

Over the past 10 years we have kept our mill rates intentionally low, knowing that this day was coming.

It’s here.

It’s time to move forward. Look where we’ve come: we can’t stop now.

A new Central Library is more than a building – it’s an investment in the city’s future.

It creates a smarter, more connected, and more inclusive community.

We know that from other cities.

Like Calgary, where mayor Jyoti Gondeck calls the central library “a cornerstone of the community” that “stands as a testament to the power of public investment in library infrastructure.”

Or Halifax, which attributes its downtown building boom to game changers including its new central library.

Where economic growth, new multi-family living spaces, and new businesses are being constructed around the central library… because that’s where the people are. That’s where the people go.
Where the population of downtown increased 34% in 10 years.
And what was, for several years, the fastest-growing downtown in Canada.

It’s about infrastructure. It’s about investment. It’s having a vision for what could be.

Let’s activate our downtown. Let’s prioritize essential services like the library and invest in our future.

Let’s develop downtown to grow our economy, and our cultural and social wellbeing.

Let’s attract business and events to our city and elevate our profile.

Let’s make people feel good about living here.

Be the Council who acts on the potential of our downtown.

Be the Council who delivers it through a renewed Central Library.

The motion to reconsider Council’s prior approval of the mill rate and debt necessary for a new Central Library was defeated at a City Council meeting today. That is great news, because it means our work can continue to move forward.

The approval of funding given by City Council in July remains in place and we are continuing with our procurement process to find the right developer with the best plan for a new Central Library for Reginans.

Stay tuned for more updates!

July 12, 2024

We are thrilled with City Council’s July 9 decision to commit to debt financing and a dedicated mill rate request (in principle) to fund a new Central Library. This project has been a longtime in the making, and there’s lots more to do. Read on to find out more.

Background

In September 2022, the Regina Public Library (RPL) Board of Directors voted in favour of constructing a new library building. This decision came after years and years of studying issues with the current building and what it would take to create something that would meet current and future community needs.

The vision for a new Central Library is not just about a building: it’s about creating a dynamic space that reflects the evolving needs of Regina’s diverse population. A space to support information seekers; a community hub and a free, welcoming environment that enables everyone to discover, learn, and connect.

Recent research

In early 2024, RPL put together cost estimates for the size of library building we believe will adequately meet the current and future needs of our city. That library would be approx. 125,000 square feet and would cost between $125M and $150M.

At the same time, RPL began researching options for partnerships to help construct a new building. There was a lot of interest from local developers to collaborate and build something dynamic. However, potential partners were reluctant to commit to the project without confirmation of funding from the City of Regina.

RPL also conducted research into developing a fundraising campaign for a new Central. However, potential supporters were also reluctant to commit to the project without confirmation of funding from the City of Regina.

City Council

In spring 2024, Regina Public Library visited City Council with a formal request to help fund a new library. The request included:

Debt funding of approximately $92M to $119M, which could be borrowed in portions as needed from 2026 to 2029; and
A dedicated Central Library mill rate increase of 5.5% each year over five years, starting in 2025 to fund some initial work in 2025 and pay back the debt. This increase would cost the average homeowner about 92 cents more per month on their property tax bill.

(Other funding sources will include RPL’s reserves, and an anticipated capital fundraising campaign with a goal to raise $3M. Funding from other levels of government will also be pursued.)

Much to our delight, City Council agreed on July 9, 2024 to support the project by approving both the mill rate request (in principle) and the debt funding.

Because we have funding approval, we now have the assurance we need for the project to move forward.

What’s next

The next steps in the project will include initiating a procurement process. This process will invite potential partners to submit proposals on how they can contribute to the construction of the new library, whether it’s a standalone building or a multi-purpose structure, and whether it remains at the corner of 12^th and Lorne Street or moves elsewhere downtown.

The procurement process is expected to take about 16 months and cost approximately $1.5M. Once completed, the RPL Board will review the proposals, decide on the best course of action, and then report back to City Council with a more concrete budget.

After that, the design phase for the new building can begin!

What about renovating the current building?

While there has been some discussion in the media and elsewhere of renovating the current building, the Board determined from its research that building new was a wiser investment.

You can learn more about the building issues by browsing the many reports we have received throughout the years from architects and engineers.

You can learn more about the range of building options considered by the Board and the rationale for choosing to build new in the Needs Assessment and Project Plan.

A new landmark for Regina

With the construction of this new facility, RPL is not just building walls and stacking shelves with books, we’re crafting a future where knowledge and opportunity are accessible to all.

Envision a place that draws people in, not just for the love of reading, but for the experience of connecting with others and engaging in a diverse array of activities. This library will be a dynamic space that reflects the evolving needs of Regina’s population, and offers a safe and welcoming environment for discovery, learning, and connection.

The library will act as a catalyst for downtown revitalization, attracting visitors who will support local businesses and boost the economy.

It will be a hub where everyone, regardless of background or ability, can come together to share ideas, learn new skills, and participate in the collective growth of our city.

We are thrilled with today’s City Council’s decision to commit to debt financing and a dedicated mill rate request (in principle) to fund a modern Central Library. With that promise, we can move forward and ask potential partners how they might help us create something amazing. That process will take over a year to complete. We have a long road ahead of us, but we’ll get there, and today’s decision was a big step forward. Thanks for your continued support of Regina Public Library!

The Regina Public Library Board of Directors this afternoon approved a motion to request that City Council approve funding for a new Central Library building in the forms of:

a. A dedicated Central Library mill rate increase of 5.5% each year over five years, starting in 2025; and
b. Debt, to be taken on through the City for a range of approximately $92M to $119M for the Central Library Renewal project, and which may be borrowed in portions as needed, from 2026 to 2029.

More information at reginalibrary.ca

There will be a special public meeting of Regina Public Library’s Board of Directors on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 4:30pm in the Central Library board room. Find more information on our website.