Greetings. Since the defeat of the November referendum for a new library, the McHenry Public Library District has been planning the next step. With the economy still reeling, the board voted at the May 2009 meeting to start planning a remodel of the existing building, up to a $3 million limit with no increases in taxes for area residents. The remodel components would enhance and upgrade current safety, security and staff/patron movement needs plus provide some ergonomic changes for comfort. Additionally, the remodel would provide a few amenities discussed last fall in the proposal for a new building.
Our current architectural firm, Nagel, Hartray, Danker, Kagan, McKay, Penney is designing the floor plan and the construction firm of Lamp, Inc. will supervise/schedule the work. Estimated project time is 8-9 months in several phases.
Work planned involves the following (dependent upon prices): parking lot resurface, storm drain renovation, expanding library by 12,000 sq. ft. within existing footprint, adding 1-2 meeting rooms accessible from outside entry, remodel/re-design of Friends book sale area and Circulation area, moving of genealogy area, adult and children's service desks, new soft/hard furniture and more seating, especially in the teen area, converting outdoor message sign to LED, adding larger staff work areas with a couple of new offices for managers. Hopefully, we'll also be enlarging/reconfiguring our entry foyer for safer/easier access and drop-off of materials.
The remodel is only a stop-gap to last 5-7 years until we can mount another capital campaign for a new library, but we are making the best, most efficient use of taxpayer money in this way.
Just for your information - by May 2009, for the fiscal year FY 2008/09, we had more than 512,000 circulations - a record so far!! So the library is really used and valued in our community.
A special board meeting will be held at the library on Wed., June 24 at 7 p.m. where the board will discuss remodel plans. The library currently has more than $1,300,000 in its special reserve fund (called capital fund) to put toward the remodel project. We hope to add about $600,000 to that figure over the next six months with the rest financed. Financing may be through conventional cash loans or with Economic Stimulus money from county Recovery Zone bonds, whichever is most economical for repayment. If you have any questions about these plans, feel free to contact Executive Director Jim Scholtz at 815-385-0036. Thanks.
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2 comments:
Rather than aking the taxpayer to fund a new library in 5-7 years, have you ever considered adding a second florr to the current building? The building is 2 stories high right now, there should be some way to add the "floor" for the 2nd story to the current structure. You'd virtually double your space? Sure would be cheaper than a new building.
Hi and thanks for your comment and question. I'm going to be posting new comments relative to our remodel project - we have a new architectural firm and other information. Initially (in 2005/06), our architectural firm looked into a 3-phase building program using the existing building with remodel + addition. You are right, we would double are space if it were a possibility. At that time, a second floor was looked into and deemed unsafe for several reasons. The buuilding was a single sotry warehouse but did have a U-shaped catwalk around the main area. The walls don't support anything so adding a second story would require substantial side reinforcement (horizontal)as well as vertical support. The 2-story office section was actually added later and is considered a separate structure because it is not fire-sprinklered. In the main library, the existing ceiling is 18 ft. high so, if we could make two floors, both of them would be 8 ft or less. In a large room this would be very close. Also, our civil engineers indicated that the slab concrete floor and substrate under were not compacted enough to accomodate a load bearing (library books, etc.) full floor. The floor in the FISH area and behind has lots of cracks in as well. Additionally, our walls are not insulated at all (just brick) so we would have to insulate them. Our old architects indicated that it would be more expensive to remodel/expand the existing facility than it would be to build a new building - expecially because of some existing site/traffic problems and the intent was to build a building that would serve as a library from the start - not just a refurbished building. Your point is well-taken about using the current facility for more than 5-7 years however. Please read my new post for some additional information. As soon as we have a new remodel floor plan for the existing library, we will be having some public meetings to get information/comments and feedback. I hope that you will attend one of these meetings. Thanks. Jim Scholtz.
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