A community architect advisory panel has recommended Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Mithun Partners and The Miller/Hull Partnership remain in the running for the job of designing the new Ballard library. An original pool of 15 firms were considered.
The community is invited to meet the architects and see display boards featuring their work from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16, at the Ballard Library, 5711 24th Ave. N.W. Comment forms will also be available.
Buildings designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson include the Issaquah Library, the Dwight-Engelwood School Library and Student Center in Englewood, N.J., the University of Washington School of Fisheries, the University of Washington Chemical Oceanography Laboratory Building, and the residence of William H. Gates, Medina, Wash.
Projects designed by Mithun Partners include the Miller Community Center, Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center, REI Seattle Flagship Store, University of Washington student housing, the Smith Tower Restoration and Renovation and the King County Transfer Station.
The Miller/Hull Partnership designed the Fremont Public Association Community Resource Center, Garfield Community Center, King County Library System Administration and Service Center, Adams Elementary School and the Ballard Light Rail Station.
The Library Board will make a decision on one of the architectural firms at its 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 meeting at the Central Library, 1000 4th Ave., Lee Auditorium.
The Seattle Public Library board of trustees has already narrowed its list of potential sites for the new 15,000-square-foot Ballard library.
Two sites are Bartell Drug Store and U.S. Bank properties - both of which are included as possible library locations in the proposed municipal center master plan. Both are within two blocks of Market Street and offer high visibility.
A third site is the Eagles Hall and adjacent Service Garage, located on 24th Avenue Northwest. The parcel is bounded by Northwest 56th and Northwest 57th streets, and on the east side of 24th Avenue Northwest.
Library Board member Linda Larson, who is also the board steward for the new branch, said there was enthusiastic community support for the two sites proposed in the municipal center master plan. Both at community meetings and in written comments, residents expressed a preferred interest in those locations, she said.
The board agreed to keep the 23,600-square-foot Eagles Hall and Service Garage on the list in case it is not able to act expeditiously on the other sites. "The community has been very clear that it wants us to move forward and not wait on this," Larson said.
A matrix with an analysis of the sites, as well as a map of the sites, is available at the Ballard Library and on the Library's Web site: Factors in Siting the Ballard Library. The board is continuing to collect public comments on the sites.
The current library is one of the system's busiest branches and has outgrown its7,296-square-foot program area. Voters approved money for a new $6.5 million facility in November 1998. The building will feature more space for books, enlarged areas for children and young adults, added computer and instructional space, a multipurpose room and more parking.
More information is available by calling the Capital Program Office at 206-386-4624. Comments may be e-mailed to: capital.program@spl.org.
Return to the list of Libraries for All press release headlines
Content modified: 25 February 2000
12/30/2005
© 1999-2006 - The Seattle Public Library