Word on the Street: Was the over-budget and delayed Jasper Library and Cultural Centre worth it?
Photo - P. Clarke. As the Jasper Library and Cultural Centre celebrated its soft opening on Aug. 4, the 51暗网 asked attendees if the building, which opened three and half years behind schedule and was $1.
As the Jasper Library and Cultural Centre celebrated its soft opening on Aug. 4, the 51暗网 asked attendees if the building, which opened three and half years behind schedule and was $1.5 million over budget, was worth the wait and extra cash.
Tom Price: 鈥淚t鈥檚 very comfortable here. It鈥檚 not just some foreboding concrete slab. I think it鈥檚 a really good use of the space. Major projects are always getting delayed so honestly I didn鈥檛 really think twice when this one kept getting delayed. Same thing with budgets鈥擨鈥檇 like to know specifically why this project was over budget, but I wasn鈥檛 surprised to hear that it was. With any major project I never keep my anticipations for the original completion date鈥攁lmost everything goes over.鈥� Rico Satoko, JAG member: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 even think about the extra money and now that it鈥檚 open I don鈥檛 think about the delays. I鈥檓 just really happy it鈥檚 open. It looks really professional and I think a lot of people want to come here. We (JAG) moved around so much so it鈥檚 nice to finally have a permanent home. All the other stuff doesn鈥檛 matter to me.鈥� Dale Karpluk: 鈥淎s a taxpayer I think we鈥檙e incredibly lucky to have a space like this that not only locals will utilize but also visitors. I think we鈥檝e turned a corner and we鈥檙e ready to move on and put all the delays and the construction troubles behind us. I think most people just want to enjoy the building now. They鈥檝e blended the new architecture with the old perfectly and it鈥檚 a great building.鈥� Angie Lemire: 鈥淚 think everything up until this point has been worth it鈥攊t鈥檚 a big and open library with tons of places to sit and read or have meetings for different organizations. One of my favourite parts is the JAG gallery. I鈥檝e visited them in various locations and I think this building really shows off our local artists. And this is something that鈥檚 going to last for many years so I do think it was all worth it.鈥� Brian Lackey: 鈥淚 think after so long a lot of us just became numb to the delays. I just didn鈥檛 think about it that much and just thought whenever it opens is when it鈥檒l open. For the longest time I had an idea of what the building would look like, but when it was finally done it was above my expectations鈥攊t鈥檚 fantastic and I know I鈥檒l be spending a lot of time here. There are so many great programs here that I can see myself getting involved with and the art is always changing so for me the delays and all that are just in the past." Nolan Duzan: "I don鈥檛 really know what took so long and I don鈥檛 really think it should have taken that long, but the first time I walked into the building I was just amazed at the structure. In the end I think everything paid off and I鈥檓 just happy that I have place that I can go and use the computers and look at books.鈥�
