Clive is a growing community and needs to jump at an opportunity to build a downtown resource centre, project boosters told Lacombe County council on Tuesday.
Louise Bell said Clive Public Library, the Neighbourhood Revitalization Association, Neighbourhood Place Board and the Village of Clive have joined forces on the project to create a multi-use resource centre on main street.
A unique opportunity was provided when the owner of the Urban Market, a building with several retail businesses inside, offered to sell the 1,500-square-foot building to the group for $350,000. In turn, the Urban Market owner would buy the building Clive is currently using as a library, among other uses, for $75,000. The total cost of the project to buy and renovate the building for use as a library, community meeting, program and office space is about $412,000. About $110,000 has been raised so far.
Bell told council that the existing library is in a basement and is cramped. There is so little room that children had to be turned away from an after-school program. “The need for this is very high,” she said. “I would hate to see us miss this opportunity.”
A specific funding request was not made to the county. Council directed administration to prepare a report and bring the request back to a future meeting.