It’s a lot of money for not that many square feet- but that’s not the entire equation.
The proposed 434 square foot exterior addition to the Arnprior Library, at 430,000 over the budgeted estimate, is about 2500 dollars per square foot, according to Mayor Walter Stack.
Town staff had therefore recommended not proceeding with the addition, which was to add an exterior patio with wifi capabilities to the existing facility.
But at the municipal meeting of May 24th, elected representatives voted 5-2 to go ahead with the work.
There’s a looming deadline less than a year off to complete the work, or risk losing a federal grant for the job.
One of the contributing factors to the high cost is the consistency of the ground, which is an old river bed and requires reinforced piles to be driven to maintain structural integrity.
