Another Major Milestone Reached at New Central Library Site

Placement of final steel beam marks completion of building exterior and start of FFE

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) – the organization responsible for redeveloping East Village and lead developer of the city’s New Central Library has reached another major milestone in the library construction program - the completion of Phase 2 – the skeletal framework of the building.

“Phase 2 – the raising of the building – has been in full swing since fall 2015, when CMLC’s crews completed the encapsulation of the LRT line that bisects the library site,” says Michael Brown, President & CEO, CMLC.

“We’ve laid the foundation, completed the three vertical concrete cores within the library, completed most of the exterior cladding and, and now we are finishing the installation of the system of massive steel trusses that form the library’s structural skeleton. We are now set to launch into the next exciting phase of construction development – the interior finishing. Beginning at the bottom and working upward, we’ll install the building’s mechanical and electrical systems and complete the drywall, millwork, paint, flooring and so on.”

“The placement of the final steel beam marks a huge milestone for us – and for all Calgarians,” says Janet Hutchinson, Calgary Public Library’s Board Chair. “It completes the framework of a new library we’ve been talking about and dreaming about for decades. And it’s happening precisely when CMLC’s construction schedule said it would, which means we’re right on track for our planned grand opening in fall 2018.”

The beam that’s causing all the excitement belongs to one of the five cross-braced steel trusses that form the building’s skeleton. And it’s a biggie. Weighing in at over 9,000 kilograms (20,000 pounds, or 10 tons), the last steel beam measures 13.4 metres (44 feet) long by 0.5 metres (1.5 feet) wide by just over 1.2 metres (4 feet) high.

Mind you, by New Central Library standards, this final beam could be considered a lightweight. The library’s longest steel beam – part of truss #4 – is nearly double the length at 25.37 metres (83.25 feet). And the heaviest, also belonging to truss #4, tips the scales at 45,933 kilograms (101,265 pounds) – more than five times the weight of the final beam.

To commemorate this significant milestone in bringing a new library – and a new landmark – to the city centre, CMLC is inviting all Calgarians to come to East Village until 2 pm today and contribute to the creation of a New Central Library time capsule.

“It’s a ‘Time Capsule of Steel’,” says Susan Veres, CMLC’s Senior VP Strategy & Business Development. “We’re inviting all citizens of Calgary to sign and inscribe messages of inspiration, hope, education and literacy (and more) on this huge steel beam.

“We’ve also invited Micheline Maylor – Calgary’s new Poet Laureate – to read and inscribe the beam with a poem she has written for this momentous occasion. Her poem is titled ‘Someday look up to this: a library’.”

The last beam will be lowered into its place within Truss 5 and encapsulated by cement at the end of April after six levels of concrete slab have been poured and have cured. At that point all public messages will be forever cast and embedded within the structure of the building – a true time capsule of messages - for future generations of Calgarians to appreciate.

Following the placement of the beam the project team shifts into the third phase of the construction program – the fit and finishing phase. This phase, the most detailed, will take another 16 months to complete and involves the heaviest amount of trade workers. The Calgary Public Library is expected to move its team into the new library by early fall 2018 and will prepare for the grand public opening.

Imagined as a mixed-use, amenity-rich master-planned neighbourhood in the downtown core, East Village will be home to more than 11,000 residents upon completion in 2027. With local amenities like RiverWalk, St. Patrick’s Island, the New Central Library, National Music Centre and an urban shopping centre, East Village has become a highly desirable neighbourhood in Calgary’s downtown core.