'Incredible transformation': Aurora breaks ground on much-debated Library Square

$51.5-million project to open in late 2022 is largest capital venture in town’s history

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 14, 2020
Lisa Queen

After years in the planning, Aurora’s Library Square is now underway.

The town held a groundbreaking ceremony for the much-debated downtown project on the afternoon of Oct. 8.

“This project has been such a long time coming and it’s finally here. This is the beginning of the next era for the town of Aurora,” Mayor Tom Mrakas said.

The $51.5-million project to open in late 2022 is the largest capital venture in Aurora’s history and will serve as the catalyst for downtown revitalization, he said.

“The project is the culmination of years of planning that demonstrates that strategic municipal investment in the downtown will leverage further investment, foster employment opportunities and support downtown resilience,” Mrakas said.

“It’s also the culmination of years of partnerships of community, government, individuals all coming together for the future of our town. I’m so proud of this collaboration and when we work together towards a common vision, we can achieve anything and we can get things done.”

At its heart, Library Square will be a community space for residents, their children and generations to come, Mrakas said.

“When complete, Aurora will have a 32,000-square-foot addition to the Church Street School that features performance space, visual arts studios, museum storage, multi-purpose dance studio, program rooms, café and a catering kitchen, a vibrant open-air square featuring amphitheatre, water feature, skating loop and seating areas, an enclosed pedestrian link between the new facility and the existing public library with accessible connection to Yonge Street and downtown, new library programming space and rooftop reading garden. The addition of a community space like Library Square will contribute to local economic activity and the growth of Aurora’s creative sector,” he said.

“Evidence from other communities that have similarly invested in the activity-generators of their downtown core have seen a return on investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars and this is great news for our community.”

David Leinster, principle of the Planning Partnership which has led the project, called the groundbreaking the first step in an “incredible transformation” of downtown.

A large team of industry experts has worked with town staff and library and cultural centre officials to meet the needs of the community, he said.

Library Square was originally conceived as a new programmable outdoor space but grew to include an addition to cultural centre, library renovations and the bridge linking the two, Leinster said.

The project will feature an adaptable performance hall, an atrium, community spaces and improved access from the square to Yonge Street, he said.

“The design vision for this transformational project was inspired by this extraordinary setting in the historic downtown Aurora,” he said.

It was also inspired by the historic nineteenth century schoolhouse recognized provincially for its significance, which will be linked to the twentieth century library, Leinster said.

“Our twenty-first century vision builds on the success of these two great institutions to realize the town’s vision for this project as a vibrant cultural centre, attracting and inspiring people to learn from and engage with the arts,” he said.