Graham Contracting Ltd. will begin work Friday, May 11 on the renovation and expansion of The Seattle Public Library’s Magnolia Branch
The 6 ,356-square-foot branch at 2801 34 th Ave. W. will be expanded by 1,443 square feet to include a meeting room.
The renovation work also includes replacing decayed structural wood and aging mechanical system components, upgrading technology services, equipment and ventilation, improving electrical, communication and computer connections, adding energy-efficient window glass, and updating the collection of books and materials.
Snyder Hartung Kane Strauss Architects designed the renovations so patrons and staff could more efficiently use the interior space.
The branch , which opened in 1964, has been designated as a landmark building by Seattle’s Landmarks Preservation Board. The Library worked with the landmarks board throughout the design process to preserve the architectural character of the branch.
The larger, renovated branch is projected to open in early 2008 after the furniture, equipment, books and materials are moved back into the building.
The overall project budget is $4,419,645, which includes the Library Board-approved addition in March of $993,053 for additional construction costs and $586,500 in Opportunity Fund money for additional construction, technology, landscaping and furniture costs. The Opportunity Fund was created as part of the “Libraries for All” (LFA) bond measure to be used for new or unanticipated neighborhood library capital needs.
Seattle voters passed the $196.4 million LFA bond measure in 1998. The bond money, which can be used only for construction of libraries, is funding new and improved branches, in addition to the new Central Library.
To date, the Library has completed the new Central Library and the Ballard, Beacon Hill, Capitol Hill, Columbia, Delridge, Douglass-Truth, Fremont, Green Lake, Greenwood, High Point, International District/Chinatown, Lake City, Montlake, NewHolly, North East, Northgate, Rainier Beach, South Park, Southwest, Wallingford and West Seattle branches. Several other branches are in the construction phase.
The Seattle Public Library Foundation continues to raise funds from private sources to keep pace with the demands of patrons for the most comprehensive and dynamic library facilities and services. Every dollar raised by the Foundation will ensure a level of excellence in the Library’s facilities, collections, and programs that would not be possible through its tax-based support alone.
For more information, visit the Library’s Web site at www.spl.org.
(For more information, call Caroline Young Ullmann, assistant communications director, 206-615-1627.)
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Content modified: 16 May 2007
05/16/2007
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