February 12, 2007 Update:
The bid opening date has been changed to Wednesday, Feb. 21.
The Seattle Public Library’s Magnolia Branch, 2801 34th Ave. W., is tentatively scheduled to close at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 for renovation and expansion.
The date is tentative because the Library is currently advertising for general contractor bids, which will be opened Feb. 15. The closure date will be finalized once the bids are received and reviewed.
During the closure, the Library will add staff to nearby branches to help meet the need for library service. Librarians also will continue community outreach to children and young adults and will make school visits in the branch’s service area.
The closest branches to the Magnolia Branch are: the Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W., 684-4089; the Fremont Branch, 731 N. 35th St., 684-4084; and the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., 386-4636.
Users may choose any other Library location as a pickup location for items placed on hold, interlibrary loan requests or purchase suggestions. Patrons may return Library materials to any branch. If Magnolia Branch patrons don’t select an alternate branch, their holds will be sent to the Ballard Branch.
Saturday, Feb. 24 is the last day to pick up an item on hold, or check out or return materials at the Magnolia Branch. The book drop, however, will stay open until 5 p.m. Friday, March 9.
Snyder Hartung Kane Strauss Architects designed the renovations so patrons and staff could more efficiently use the interior space.
The 6,356-square-foot branch will be renovated and expanded by 1,443 square feet to include a meeting room. The r enovation 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.
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.
After the branch closes, staff will prepare the books and other materials to be moved out of the building. The collections and furniture will be stored while construction is under way.
Assuming the Library receives satisfactory contractor bids, construction work will begin after the building has been emptied. The larger, renovated branch is projected to reopen in late 2007 or early 2008 after the furniture, equipment, books and materials are moved back into the building.
The overall project budget for all costs is $2.8 million, which includes $1.62 million from the Opportunity Fund, a special fund created as part of the “Libraries for All” bond measure to be used for new or unanticipated neighborhood library capital needs.
The project is part of the $196.4 million “Libraries for All” bond measure that Seattle voters passed 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, Wallingford and West Seattle branches. Several other branches are in the design or 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.)
Return to the Libraries for All capital projects page
Return to the list of Libraries for All press release headlines
Content modified: 13 February 2007
02/13/2007
© 1999-2006 - The Seattle Public Library