Metropolitan Toronto government in order to bring together the resources and collections of the central libraries and library systems within Metro Toronto; including the Toronto Reference Library. By 1968, the board had decided to build a replacement building for the Toronto Reference Library, with spacing becoming an issue in the original 1909 building. Additionally, the board viewed the original building was situated far too west for it to properly serve as a library for the metropolitan region. In 1971, Raymond Moriyama was commissioned by the library board to perform a site study for a replacement building; with the board specifying the location had to be between St. Clair Avenue and Queen Street, and near a Toronto subway station. Moriyama eventually choose a location on Asquith and Yonge Street, partly due to its proximity to Bloor–Yonge station. In 1972, the library board had approved the purchase of the site for C$7 million, and allocated a further C$23 million to construct a new building. The initial design presented by Moriyama was a similar in design to the current building, although the original designs had the southern and western façade of the structure clad in reflective glass that became transparent at night; with concrete used on its other sides. A direct access point that connected the library's main lobby to Bloor-Yonge subway station was planned although it was not incorporated in the final design. Although the design was initially supported by the library board and the Metro Toronto government, the design faced opposition from the municipal government of Toronto; with the overuse of glass in the midst of the 1970s energy crisis being questioned, concerns that the structure would be too imposing in contrast to the rest of the neighbourhood, and budgetary concerns resulted in the initial design to be rejected in December 1973. After several months of consultation with the local government, revised designs were approved in April 1974; which slightly reduced the size and height of the building, reduced its massing, and changed its cladding to brick. Construction for the new building began in 1974, with the new building being opened to the public on Asquith Avenue and Yonge Street on 2 November 1977. The former reference library building was closed in 1977, and is presently used as the University of Toronto's Koffler Student Centre. As a result of Metropolitan Toronto's dissolution and amalgamation into Toronto in 1997, the Metropolitan Toronto