The 339 Queen Street East location will be six times as large as the current 171 Front Street East location, which means more books and more services. To support its presence as a district branch, I have directed $3 million in community benefits in order to fund enhanced library programming space, virtual interview rooms, and a digital innovation hub/fabrication studio–one of only two in the whole City–to ensure this branch is a jewel in TPL’s portfolio.
For those who have been following this saga, the move to 339 Queen Street East comes after a number of unsuccessful attempts to relocate this branch. Initially planned for the First Parliament Site, plans were scuttled when the province expropriated the lands for a future Ontario Line Station. Following that, plans had been underway to build a new branch at 125 The Esplanade once the St. Lawrence North Market building was complete, but the complexity of the project in terms of construction and costs were proving daunting. The move to 339 Queen Street East will allow this branch to reopen in a larger space quickly and below the costs of providing a new build.
While the future relocation will put a branch closer to a number of Toronto Centre residents, it will unfortunately make the journey more difficult for many current patrons of the St. Lawrence library to access library services. I have had conversations with Deputy Mayor Malik, who expressed concern that her residents south of The Esplanade in Ward 10 may be forced to travel over a kilometre to do something as simple as picking up a hold or dropping off of a borrowed book, let alone to access any number of free services our libraries offer. I have brought these comments directly to TPL and have emphasized that while I support the relocation of the St. Lawrence branch to 339 Queen Street, I also support exploring opportunities to bring new library services closer to residents in Old Town Toronto. I will continue to work with City staff and Deputy Mayor Malik’s office to explore new library opportunities closer to 171 Front Street East that can best serve all St Lawrence residents.
Details on the timeline for the reloaction of the St. Lawrence Library branch to 339 Queen Street East will be coming soon, and I am hopefuly a new community organization to take over the space 171 Front Street East. Please check back to learn more.
