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A timeline for an $11 million library budget

Millennium project 2000 — Concept was the municipality would kick in $5 million, fundraising would bring in another $5 million for a $10 million joint library/museum project in the heart of the village.

Millennium project 2000 — Concept was the municipality would kick in $5 million, fundraising would bring in another $5 million for a $10 million joint library/museum project in the heart of the village.

June 2003 — Plans put on hold as the joint Capital Campaign, the fundraising arm of the project, officially stops collecting money. The economic downturn is cited as the main culprit.

September 2003 — The municipality scraps the detailed design plans for the joint facility. The library facility is to remain on the original site while the municipality looks at opportunities to put the museum in the conference centre.

March 2004 — Council makes the decision to move forward with a new standalone public library at a total project cost of $7 million. This budget did not include a contingency for construction escalation. Completion was scheduled for summer 2006.

August 2004 — Council approves Whistler Construction Company for project and construction management of the facility.

May 2005 — Council approves a $1.2 million budget increase for a total of almost $8.1 million.

June 2005 — Construction begins on the 14,500 square foot new facility.

November 2005 — Election. New council assumes office with just two members of the old council — Mayor Ken Melamed and Councillor Gord McKeever.

February 2006 — Council approves a $1.4 million budget increase to cover more construction cost escalation bringing the total project price to $9.7 million. Meanwhile the design team and Whistler Construction reduce budget stress by roughly $410,000.

September 2006 — Municipality secures a $3.5 million low interest loan from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and a one-time grant of $500,000.

May 2007 — Council approves a $1.38 million budget increase due to schedule delays, higher than budgeted bid prices, among other things. Total budget is now just over the $11 million mark. Completion date is pushed back to December 2007

January 2008 — Doors are expected to open on Jan. 26.