Fate of library project hinges on downtown safety

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/05/2022 (1455 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been less than two weeks since the release of a new design proposal for the Western Manitoba Regional Library’s downtown Brandon branch, but the project is already at risk of falling victim to larger issues affecting downtown.

As the Sun reported, the new design would have the library “carve out some space for the Brandon General Museum and Archives (BGMA) and build better access to the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (AGSM) on the second floor, with common areas that link all these facilities together.”

The report added that “the redesign would also involve installing a new street-level main entrance, new windows to better showcase both floors and a storefront location to highlight the BGMA’s current exhibits.”

It’s a good idea and, as an editorial in the Sun said last week, “The blueprint presents an overall contemporary and beautiful space. Project organizers are hoping the centre becomes a ‘cultural hub’ in Brandon.”

The editorial ends with this hopeful statement: “If the city spends a few extra dollars to turn the library into the focal point of downtown Brandon, it will no doubt have a positive ripple effect on the rest of the community in terms of social, economic and educational well-being, as long as the city is up to the challenge.”

I agree with the hope, but you can’t ignore those final 10 words — “as long as the city is up to the challenge” — because there is an obvious elephant in the room that stands in the way of the new design having that “positive ripple effect” the editorial refers to.

In fact, the editorial alludes to the problem in two sentences buried in the middle: “As Brandon residents can see, the downtown is failing. It lacks identity, storefronts are closed, and many people feel unsafe walking through the area.”

That’s an understatement, underscored by the fact that the library is in the process of hiring a “community safety host” to address security issues that have arisen. In short, the library has become something of a drop-in shelter for down-on-their-luck people to hang out. That’s made some library users feel unsafe, especially after sunset.

And that’s a symptom of the big, ugly problem that stands in the way of this project becoming the thriving cultural hub and downtown revitalization catalyst that many hope it will be.

That concern has been reflected in a number of “Sound Offs” published in the Sun over the past several days. One said this: “I love the library and was a user for more than 40 years. Not any more. Nor do I attend any evening events at the art gallery. Why? I don’t feel safe in the area. Until the city fathers address that issue, all the money in the world won’t improve the situation downtown.”

Another said this: “May I ask why we are about to spend more money on creating a new look for a library that has problems attracting people? … Parking and security has always been an issue downtown and I would invite the powers in charge to look at moving the facility to a more suitable location.”

Here’s another one: “Ever since the Brandon Shoppers Mall was first built 50 years ago … downtown Brandon faded fast and the city fathers have been crying revitalization … It hasn’t happened and never will … Besides, who would venture downtown with so much violence happening, even in broad daylight?”

Those are three cold shots of reality, and they’re not wrong.

Media reports and Brandon Police Service media briefings regularly contain reports of violent incidents having happened downtown, including frequent break-ins, muggings, stabbings and unstable people possessing dangerous weapons.

You don’t need to read media reports to know there’s a problem; you can trust your own eyes and experiences. Entrances to business are often blocked by people who do not appear to be in full command of their faculties or impulses.

That explains why a number of businesses have left downtown for other locations in the city, and a number of others will follow suit when their leases expire. Their customers don’t feel safe, and that perception is costing them business.

For almost five decades, generations of Brandonites have talked about “saving” — now “revitalizing” — downtown Brandon. It’s time to be honest with ourselves. There won’t be any successful retail or residential revitalization happening until we find a permanent way to make the area safer.

That has to be job one. If it isn’t, architectural drawings, million-dollar library renovations and hopeful editorials are just a waste of time.

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