Grand opening delayed for Edmonton's 'think tank' library

Buzz has been building for Edmonton's new downtown library for months, but people will have to wait a little longer before checking out abook from the space for the first time.

The remodelled Stanley A. Milner Library was originally set to open in February, but the opening date has been delayed, Edmonton Public Libraryannounced on Twitter on Saturday.

A new opening date is yet to be announced.

Thelibrary overlooks Edmonton's busy Sir Winston Churchill Square, and has been closed for construction since 2016.

"We were optimistic and hoped to open on Feb.14, 2020," EPL'sCEO,Pilar Martinez, said in a statement emailed to CBC News."However, the complexities involved in a renovation project of this size have meant things are taking a little longer than anticipated."

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EPL hopes to provide an exceptional customer service experience from the get go, Martinez said.

The project gained international attention earlier this year aftercritics made some drollobservations onlinecomparing the building to a military tank, a battleship and a fighter jet a far cry fromthe original architectural renderings.

Both Martinez and Mayor Don Iveson told people to avoid judging the library by its gunmetal grey cover.

"The priority is on the inside of the space," Iveson said in July. "I think people will fall in love with that as they tend to when these libraries open."

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