3 October 2005

NEWLY EXPANDED LAKE CITY BRANCH, OTHER CITY FACILITIES OPEN OCT. 22

The newly expanded Lake City Branch, 12501 28th Ave. N.E., and other city facilities will open with a festive music celebration beginning at noon Saturday, Oct. 22.

The 15,300-square-foot branch is the 17th project completed under the 1998 "Libraries for All" voter-approved building program.

The branch expansion is part of the Lake City Civic Core project, which also includes a relocated neighborhood service center, public plaza, improvements to the Albert Davis Park, and a parking garage. All the facilities will open on Oct. 22.

The branch architect was ARC Architects and Bayley Construction was the contractor. Hewitt Architects designed the parking garage, plaza and the park improvements.

Portland artist Linda Haworth created cast glass panels using hand-carved molds of objects that represent the theme "Collections." Early in the process, Haworth and local artist Jane Grafton held a community workshop and asked patrons to bring in the objects they collected, which inspired the finished work. Artist Perri Lynch designed eight concrete wave form sculptures in the plaza and park

Program schedule:

A dedication ceremony will begin at noon with City Librarian Deborah L. Jacobs, Mayor Greg Nickels, Library Board Trustee Eric Liu, City Council President Jan Drago, the Library book fairy “Lulu,” and and Cajun band "Les Femmes d'Enfer.
Noon to 1:30 p.m. - Les Femmes d' Enfer will perform in the main area of the library.
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Lake City-based Fantagraphics Books co-publishers Gary Groth and Kim Thompson, a teen librarian from the Library, and popular local cartoonists Peter Bagge, Jim Woodring and Roberta Gregory will participate in a panel discussion on the history and future of the graphic novel in the main area of the library.
1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. – The Summit School Steel Drum Band will perform outside, depending on the weather.
3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – The Ingraham High School String Quartet will perform in the main area of the library.
3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. – The Ethiopian Community Mutual Association will perform Ethiopian music and dance in traditional tribal dress in the library meeting room.

Free refreshments and snacks will be available in the plaza, courtesy of Starbucks Coffee Company.

The branch will stay open until 6 p.m.

The celebration is made possible by premier sponsor Starbucks Coffee Company, signature sponsor Safeco Insurance and The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

About the building:

The $3,788,201 expansion project increased the 9,013-square-foot branch to 15,300 square feet. The expanded branch has an updated collection capacity of 66,700 books and materials, more seats, a meeting room and upgraded technology. Bronze gates designed by renowned Seattle artist and sculptor George Tsutakawa were preserved as part of the courtyard entrance to the building, which was declared a city landmark in 2001.
The approximately $2 million neighborhood service center, which replaces the center at 12707 30th Ave. N.E., houses the neighborhood district coordinator and provides Internet access and a community meeting room for the Lake City area. The public can apply for and renew U.S. passports at the center at certain hours, pay traffic tickets, pet licenses and utility bills. Municipal Court will conduct hearings there and the Seattle Police Department will use it as an alternate precinct. The King County Bar Association also will offer scheduled Neighborhood Legal Clinics at this facility.

Libraries for All:
In 1998, Seattle voters approved a $196.4 million bond measure to fund improvements to all 22 existing branches, build new branches in underserved areas and construct a new Central Library. There are currently many projects in the active design or construction phase. For more information about the building program or opening, visit www.spl.org, or call 206-386-4636.

(For more information, call Caroline Young Ullmann, assistant communications director, 206-615-1627.)

Return to the Libraries for All capital projects page

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Content modified: 19 October 2005

12/30/2005