The Seattle Public Library board of trustees has voted to build the new Montlake Library at the northwest corner of 24th Avenue East and East McGraw Street. The board unanimously selected the site at its May 7 meeting.
"We think it's the right choice," said board member Gilbert W. Anderson, who is the board steward for the Montlake Library. "There was a lot of community support for the site."
A duplex currently occupies the site, which is centrally located within Montlake, is visible and has good bus access.
Deborah L. Jacobs, city librarian, applauded the board's decision.
"We're ahead of schedule and we're really, really thankful we've found such a wonderful location in Montlake," she said. "We worked long and hard with the Montlake community to find the best site for the new library."
The board's action came after more than a year of work with residents to explore potential locations for the new 5,000-square-foot library. The board and Library staff held two public meetings to discuss sites and solicit reactions.
This spring, in the midst of site discussions, the property at the northwest corner of 24th Avenue East and East McGraw Street came up for sale. "It was at the heart of Montlake, located exactly where residents said they wanted to see the library," Anderson said.
The board directed Library staff to buy the property. "If we had decided on another site, we easily could have sold it," Anderson said. "But it made sense to take advantage of the property being on the market."
Library siting criteria require that branches be situated in areas frequently visited by all segments of a community, close to or on primary streets and transit routes, and highly visible to passers-by.
Next year, the Library will go through the process of advertising for and selecting an architect and will invite residents to share their vision for the building and discuss their preferences in services, collections, programs and artwork.
The new $2.5 million library, which is scheduled to open in 2004, will have an updated and expanded collection of 18,700 books and materials, more seats, a meeting room, upgraded technology services and equipment, and parking. The current 1,574-square-foot library is located in a converted retail store at 2300 24th Ave. E., a block from the site of the new library.
Montlake's new library is part of the $196.4 million "Libraries for All" bond measure that Seattle voters passed in 1998. The plan calls for improving or replacing all 22 branch libraries, building five new branches and building a new central library.
For more information about Libraries for All, visit the Library's Web site at www.spl.org and select "Libraries for All capital projects."
(For more information, call Caroline Young Ullmann, communications assistant, 206-615-1627.)
Return to the list of Libraries for All press release headlines
Content modified: 10 May 2001
12/30/2005
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