Residents soon will see increased activity at the old Central Library as preparation begins for the demolition of the 41-year-old building.
A new library is planned for the existing site at 1000 Fourth Ave.
Beginning Monday, Aug. 13, the remaining landscaping around the Central Library will be removed. "Residents will to be happy to know that nearly all the plants and trees have homes or will be recycled," said City Librarian Deborah L. Jacobs. She credited Library gardener Carrie Bowman for developing a plan more than a year ago to relocate the plants. Most plants already have been transplanted.
"More than 100 trees and shrubs went to 10 library sites," Bowman said. "The Fremont and Rainier Beach libraries have substantial new landscapes composed of 80 percent of the salvaged material." Seattle Public Schools, Seattle City Light and the Mary Magdalene women's homeless shelter also received plants from the Central Library. Kubota Gardens took nearly all the large stones for its gardens.
The remaining potted cedar of Lebanon will go to Seattle City Light, while Seattle Transportation (SeaTran) will take the two Ginkgo trees on Fourth Avenue. Employees from the Woodland Park Zoo will cut the majority of the site's 19 mature trees and use the wood to enhance the habitats of the animals. "The zoo is just thrilled to be able to use these trees," Jacobs said.
Four ornamental trees - Deodar cedar, a Styrax japonica, a dogwood and a Japanese red maple - will be replanted at the Central Library site after the new building is constructed. The $161.1 million, 362,987-square-foot facility, designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas in a joint venture with Seattle-based LMN Architects, is scheduled to open in late 2003.
The landscape removal will continue through Monday, Aug. 20.
Selective interior demolition of the Central Library is slated to begin the last week of August. Materials such as concrete, aluminum and wood will be separated and recycled at that time. Jacobs said the library's goal is to recycle 75 percent of the materials - enough to receive a "silver" level rating for recycling by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Work also will begin on the structural support for the underground portion of the library. Underground parking is part of the new design. The interior demolition and below-grade structural support work will last about a month.
Jacobs said residents shouldn't be alarmed to see significant Seattle Fire Department activity in the building at night and on weekends the last week of August and first two weeks of September. "The department has been granted permission to practice several different training exercises in the building," she said. "We are happy to be providing this public service."
The main demolition of the Central Library is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-September. The building will be taken down using heavy equipment. "Unlike the Kingdome, there will not be an implosion," Jacobs emphasized. The demolition and debris removal will continue through October.
Once the building is razed, excavation and shoring work for the parking garage and below grade areas will begin and continue until late 2001.
New Central Library Construction Update (9-14-01)
For more information on the new Central Library or the Temporary Central Library, 800 Pike St., visit www.spl.org or call 206-386-4636.
(For more information, call Andra Addison, communications director, at 206-386-4103, or andra.addison@spl.org.)
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Content modified: 14 September 2001
12/30/2005
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