29 March 2000

SEATTLE LIBRARY BOARD NARROWS SITES FOR NEW NORTHGATE LIBRARY

The Seattle Public Library board of trustees has narrowed its list of potential sites for the new Northgate library to six.

At its March 28 meeting, the board agreed to continue to study the following locations:

FifthAvenue Northeast and Northeast 103rd Street (parking lot);
Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 106th Street (commercial building);
Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 105th Street (Bon Tire Center);
Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northgate Way (Bank ATM);
Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 103rd (mall south parking lot) and
College Way North and North 92nd Street (North Seattle Community College campus).

The board essentially eliminated all sites north of Northgate Way and South of 92nd Street.

In keeping the college site on the list, Library Board President Gordon McHenry Jr. said while he was intrigued with this possibility, “we need much more information from the college.” McHenry Jr. said the board would need to see a firm proposal with details, including how the college would propose the transfer of college property to the library.

The location of the library will be included in a Northgate Community Design Workshop sponsored by the Seattle Planning Commission on Saturday, May 6.

McHenry Jr. mentioned that the Library is also meeting with representatives from the city Parks and Recreation Department later in May to discuss the possibility of co-locating the library with a community center. Representatives of the community are encouraged to give feedback on the sites by filling out a comment form at the Lake City, North East, Broadview or Green Lake branch libraries, or by calling or e-mailing the Capital Program Office at 386-4624, capital.program@spl.org

The Library Board will hear public comments and make siting recommendations at its 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 meeting, Central Library, 1000 4th Ave., Lee Auditorium.

Northgate, one of Seattle’s fastest-growing communities, will receive a new 10,000-square-foot library under provisions of the “Libraries for All” building program approved overwhelmingly by voters in November 1998.

The new branch will have a capacity for more than 30,000 books, seating for up to 100 patrons, reading and homework areas for children and youth, adult reference and study areas, computer work stations, instructional spaces and a multipurpose meeting room for community use. The $5.1 million branch is scheduled to open in 2004.

For more information about the community meetings or the building project, call Lake City Branch Manager Beth delaFuente at 684-7518, or Capital Projects Manager David Kunselman at 386-4096.

(For more information, call Andra Addison, communications director, at 206-386-4103, or andra.addison@spl.org.)

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Content modified: 30 March 2000

12/30/2005