Seattle Public Library -Libraries for All Branch Information Conference

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Capital Project Information New Central Library Neighborhood Branches Information for Architects, Consultants, Contractors & Bidders Oversight & Citizen Review Financial Summaries Archive Libraries for All Capital Program Office: capital.program@spl.org 1000 Fourth Ave. Seattle, WA 98104 206-386-4624		ARCHITECT INFORMATION CONFERENCE THREE BRANCH LIBRARIES: BEACON HILL, CAPITOL HILL, HIGH POINT Seattle Public Library, Central Library, Lee Auditorium April 19, 1999 Return to Information for Architects, Contractors, and Consultants I. INTRODUCTIONS City Librarian Deborah L. Jacobs welcomed those attending, thanked them for their interest in the three branch libraries, and introduced staff present: Alex Harris, Capital Projects Director Ray Serebrin, Director of Branch Libraries Bob May, Director Administrative Services Christy Tyson, Branch Team Leader, High Point Capital Projects Director Alex Harris made the following points: A branch library basic program will be prepared by a library programming consultant selected by the library. This will be provided to firms selected for the design of these three branch libraries. The advertisement for this selection is a revised advertisement from one first published on April 2. The revised advertisement is for three branch libraries, Capitol Hill, Beacon Hill, and High Point Libraries. Copies of the revised were made available at the meeting. Advertisement for additional branch libraries will be initiated in July. A number of questions have been asked about use of the 254/255 forms. These are intended as a convenience for firms proposing for the work, since many may have these forms already filled out. They are a concise way of identifying the staff in your firm, relevant project experience, and brief resume information for staff who would be assigned to this project. It is convenient for us to be able to look at this information in the same information on each submittal. If you do not have a 254 or 255, or prefer to submit the requested information in a different format, you may do so, within the page limits specified. We are seeking to select architect and engineer teams for these three projects, so you should propose what other firms you would associate with to do the work. Information for these forms may be submitted on the 254/255 forms, or in any other format that is concise and provides the requested information. Schedules: We expect to initiate work on these three branch libraries this summer. We anticipate interviews for the Beacon Hill library architect selection the second week of June. Interviewing for Capitol Hill and High Point will follow, on dates to be established. Community processes: we expect community involvement in all of the branch libraries. Library Board members, branch librarians, and community representatives will participate in interviewing and selecting architects for the Beacon Hill library, for example, and we expect ongoing community interest in the design work. In each neighborhood, the methods of reaching and involving the community may differ, but we expect continuing community interest in the library's design, service changes, book collection, etc. Budgets: the construction budgets for these three projects, excluding furnishings, equipment, contingency, art, sales tax, etc. are: Capitol Hill $2,295,311 High Point $1,443,020 Beacon Hill $2,334,188 These figures are inflated to the planned construction year. II. QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION (QUESTIONS LISTED HERE MAY HAVE BEEN ASKED AT THE INFORMATION CONFERENCE, OR BY E-MAIL OR TELEPHONE SINCE THE CONFERENCE.) Q. Depending on the site chosen, couldn't the nature of these projects vary from a tenant improvement project, to a new, independent structure? A. Yes, in the case of Capitol Hill, for example, the work could consist of a tenant space within a privately developed project, demolition and rebuilding on the current Henry Library site, or building a new branch library at a site to be chosen. The Library Board is scheduled to make a decision on Capitol Hill siting by June 22, so prior to contracting with an architect, the nature of the project would be established. NOTE: The current Capitol Hill library is called the Henry Branch. So wherever references occur to the Henry Library, these refer to the Capitol Hill branch. Q: How will the community representatives know how to select the architects? A: Initial screening for firms meeting qualifications will be conducted by staff. Library staff will support the work of the neighborhood group in reviewing and interviewing architects. Q: Will the Design Commission be involved? A: Yes. There will be Design Commission representation participating in architect selection, and in periodic reviews of building designs. For the entire Libraries for All Program, we are expecting the Design Commission to be involved in new branch libraries, and significant additions to existing branches. Landmarks Board is likely to be involved in any historic buildings. Some very small remodel projects may not be reviewed by either body. Q. How important is library experience? A. Library experience is preferred, but is not a requirement. Firms without library experience are welcome and encouraged to propose. Q. Have you allowed for property acquisition time in the project schedules? A. We have identified it in the project schedules. We hope to be able to secure options on property, where necessary, to allow us to proceed with design and planning even in advance of final closing on a property acquisition. Q. If a firm is selected for one of these three projects, will it be disqualified from consideration for future branches? A. Because of the high level of interest in participating in these projects, we expect the selection of architectural firms to be very competitive. We will not exclude firms chosen for these first three projects from consideration for other, subsequent projects. We may choose to group projects awarded for the following project types: The historic Carnegie libraries (none of the first three libraries are a Carnegie), may be awarded to firms with special expertise working with historic structures. The very small remodel projects (none in this first group of three projects) may be awarded in groupings for efficiency. Q. Does the SPL have goals for sustainability and recyclability? A. Yes, we are interested in achieving buildings which are environmentally friendly, and which are efficient to operate over time. Q. Who will manage these projects? A. The SPL is currently screening applications for project managers. We expect to hire one to two project managers soon, and to create a register for future openings. These positions will report to the Capital Program Director, Alex Harris. Q. What sites are being considered for the Beacon Hill branch? A. A library siting committee participating in neighborhood planning on Beacon Hill looked at ten sites, but concluded with a focus on three possibilities, with variations on each. They are, in no special order, 1) sites including a portion of the south part of the El Centro site, with or without a street vacation, and portions of property to the south of S. Lander Street, 2) the present branch library site on 15th Avenue S. at Beacon Avenue, combined with adjacent property, 3) the west side of 15th Avenue S., between S. Lander & S. McClellan Streets, with or without street vacations of Lander and/or McClellan. Q. What sites are being considered for High Point branch? A. The SPL is considering privately owned commercial sites near the High Point community, as well as publicly owned property a short distance to the south. There has been no community process to consider site alternatives for the High Point branch. III. CONCLUSION Capital Projects Director Alex Harris concluded the meeting with the following points: Qualifications must be submitted by Wednesday, April 28, at Additional information is contained in the Libraries for All web site, http://www.spl.org/lfa/builders.html Content modified: 2 March 2002 12/30/2005 © 1999-2006 - The Seattle Public Library

ARCHITECT INFORMATION CONFERENCE
THREE BRANCH LIBRARIES: BEACON HILL, CAPITOL HILL, HIGH POINT

Seattle Public Library, Central Library, Lee Auditorium
April 19, 1999

Return to Information for Architects, Contractors, and Consultants

I. INTRODUCTIONS
City Librarian Deborah L. Jacobs welcomed those attending, thanked them for their interest in the three branch libraries, and introduced staff present:

Alex Harris, Capital Projects Director
Ray Serebrin, Director of Branch Libraries
Bob May, Director Administrative Services
Christy Tyson, Branch Team Leader, High Point

Capital Projects Director Alex Harris made the following points:

A branch library basic program will be prepared by a library programming consultant selected by the library. This will be provided to firms selected for the design of these three branch libraries.
The advertisement for this selection is a revised advertisement from one first published on April 2. The revised advertisement is for three branch libraries, Capitol Hill, Beacon Hill, and High Point Libraries. Copies of the revised were made available at the meeting. Advertisement for additional branch libraries will be initiated in July.
A number of questions have been asked about use of the 254/255 forms. These are intended as a convenience for firms proposing for the work, since many may have these forms already filled out. They are a concise way of identifying the staff in your firm, relevant project experience, and brief resume information for staff who would be assigned to this project. It is convenient for us to be able to look at this information in the same information on each submittal. If you do not have a 254 or 255, or prefer to submit the requested information in a different format, you may do so, within the page limits specified.
We are seeking to select architect and engineer teams for these three projects, so you should propose what other firms you would associate with to do the work. Information for these forms may be submitted on the 254/255 forms, or in any other format that is concise and provides the requested information.
Schedules: We expect to initiate work on these three branch libraries this summer. We anticipate interviews for the Beacon Hill library architect selection the second week of June. Interviewing for Capitol Hill and High Point will follow, on dates to be established.
Community processes: we expect community involvement in all of the branch libraries. Library Board members, branch librarians, and community representatives will participate in interviewing and selecting architects for the Beacon Hill library, for example, and we expect ongoing community interest in the design work. In each neighborhood, the methods of reaching and involving the community may differ, but we expect continuing community interest in the library's design, service changes, book collection, etc.
Budgets: the construction budgets for these three projects, excluding furnishings, equipment, contingency, art, sales tax, etc. are:

Capitol Hill $2,295,311
High Point $1,443,020
Beacon Hill $2,334,188

These figures are inflated to the planned construction year.

II. QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION (QUESTIONS LISTED HERE MAY HAVE BEEN ASKED AT THE INFORMATION CONFERENCE, OR BY E-MAIL OR TELEPHONE SINCE THE CONFERENCE.)

Q. Depending on the site chosen, couldn't the nature of these projects vary from a tenant improvement project, to a new, independent structure?

A. Yes, in the case of Capitol Hill, for example, the work could consist of a tenant space within a privately developed project, demolition and rebuilding on the current Henry Library site, or building a new branch library at a site to be chosen. The Library Board is scheduled to make a decision on Capitol Hill siting by June 22, so prior to contracting with an architect, the nature of the project would be established. NOTE: The current Capitol Hill library is called the Henry Branch. So wherever references occur to the Henry Library, these refer to the Capitol Hill branch.

Q: How will the community representatives know how to select the architects?

A: Initial screening for firms meeting qualifications will be conducted by staff. Library staff will support the work of the neighborhood group in reviewing and interviewing architects.

Q: Will the Design Commission be involved?

A: Yes. There will be Design Commission representation participating in architect selection, and in periodic reviews of building designs. For the entire Libraries for All Program, we are expecting the Design Commission to be involved in new branch libraries, and significant additions to existing branches. Landmarks Board is likely to be involved in any historic buildings. Some very small remodel projects may not be reviewed by either body.

Q. How important is library experience?

A. Library experience is preferred, but is not a requirement. Firms without library experience are welcome and encouraged to propose.

Q. Have you allowed for property acquisition time in the project schedules?

A. We have identified it in the project schedules. We hope to be able to secure options on property, where necessary, to allow us to proceed with design and planning even in advance of final closing on a property acquisition.

Q. If a firm is selected for one of these three projects, will it be disqualified from consideration for future branches?

A. Because of the high level of interest in participating in these projects, we expect the selection of architectural firms to be very competitive. We will not exclude firms chosen for these first three projects from consideration for other, subsequent projects. We may choose to group projects awarded for the following project types:

The historic Carnegie libraries (none of the first three libraries are a Carnegie), may be awarded to firms with special expertise working with historic structures.

The very small remodel projects (none in this first group of three projects) may be awarded in groupings for efficiency.

Q. Does the SPL have goals for sustainability and recyclability?

A. Yes, we are interested in achieving buildings which are environmentally friendly, and which are efficient to operate over time.

Q. Who will manage these projects?

A. The SPL is currently screening applications for project managers. We expect to hire one to two project managers soon, and to create a register for future openings. These positions will report to the Capital Program Director, Alex Harris.

Q. What sites are being considered for the Beacon Hill branch?

A. A library siting committee participating in neighborhood planning on Beacon Hill looked at ten sites, but concluded with a focus on three possibilities, with variations on each. They are, in no special order, 1) sites including a portion of the south part of the El Centro site, with or without a street vacation, and portions of property to the south of S. Lander Street, 2) the present branch library site on 15th Avenue S. at Beacon Avenue, combined with adjacent property, 3) the west side of 15th Avenue S., between S. Lander & S. McClellan Streets, with or without street vacations of Lander and/or McClellan.

Q. What sites are being considered for High Point branch?

A. The SPL is considering privately owned commercial sites near the High Point community, as well as publicly owned property a short distance to the south. There has been no community process to consider site alternatives for the High Point branch.

III. CONCLUSION

Capital Projects Director Alex Harris concluded the meeting with the following points:

Qualifications must be submitted by Wednesday, April 28, at
Additional information is contained in the Libraries for All web site, http://www.spl.org/lfa/builders.html

Content modified: 2 March 2002

12/30/2005

ARCHITECT INFORMATION CONFERENCE THREE BRANCH LIBRARIES: BEACON HILL, CAPITOL HILL, HIGH POINT

ARCHITECT INFORMATION CONFERENCE
THREE BRANCH LIBRARIES: BEACON HILL, CAPITOL HILL, HIGH POINT