Friday, March 29, 2024

Sooke purchases parcel of land for new community library

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The District of Sooke has taken a step forward to establishing a new community library with the purchase of a 5.26 acre parcel of land.

The district purchased undeveloped land along the newly-constructed Wadams Way, on the north side of Evergreen Mall.

Sooke historian, Elida Peers, noted a historical connection between the site and the world of books and learning.

“The property was purchased in the 1940s by Porter Gibson, whose two sons, Bob and Milt, were well established fixtures in our community. Milt was a teacher at Sooke Elementary School and part of his duties was school librarian. He also went on to establish the first evening classes at Edward Milne highschool,” Peers said.

The purchase price for the property was $1.42 million, paid for initially from District reserve funds. The reserve funds will be replenished following the District’s 2016/17 budget and five-year financial plan discussions.

The land is currently zoned residential and designated as Town Centre in the Official Community Plan.

According to Cfax1070, the price of construction is pegged at between $3.5-million and $4.5-million, and will be split between Sooke and Vancouver Island Regional Library. Completion is expected in early-2018.

Only about 20% of the land will be used for the new library. Acting Mayor Kerrie Reay estimates that about 80% of the property will be available for other uses.

“There are many great things we can do with the remainder of this property, and this land acquisition will be held for future partnerships,” Reay said.

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Victoria Buzz Staffhttps://www.victoriabuzz.com
Your inside source for Greater Victoria happenings. Established in 2012.

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