Sandwich library will look and feel like a fire hall

A new branch of the Windsor Public Library in Sandwich is set to be an award winner, but it may not include a recreation of the War of 1812 mural that was bricked over a few metres away last week.

Plans are underway to turn the old fire hall on Mill Street, near Sandwich Street, into a library.

Library CEO Kitty Pope spoke about the ongoing process at a Olde Sandwich Towne BIA meeting Tuesday night.

She wants the branch to retain the look and feel of a fire hall, she told the BIA.

The Windsor Public Library selected local architect Jason Grossi to design the new Sandwich branch.

Pope wants an award-winning library that sets the bar for library design. She said it still needs to be done within the budget.

"First, you have to have the vision, then you have to see how much of that vision you can pay for," she said. "At this point, we are at the vision and idea spot.

"It will come into contact with budget realities fairly soon so we can come up with a library that's within budget. We can talk about all those great ideas, but it still has to come in within budget."

The Sandwich library project is part of a major overhaul of library branches city council approved last summer.

The price tag for upgrades at Budimir Library, the Optimist Community Centre and the Sandwich Firehall project is nearly $8 million.

Pope said the new Sandwich branch has nothing to do with a new War of 1812 mural proposal.

That was the hope of BIA president David Grimaldi last week, who was excited to hear about plans for the new library at the old fire hall.

She won't have much to say for a while, considering the library is just now going into the design phase for the new Sandwich branch.