Countryside Library Construction Choice to be Made Wednesday

To build or renovate?

For the future of the Countryside Library, city leaders will make that decision Wednesday.

The cost to renovate the library at its existing location exceeds that for building a new one near the Countryside Recreation Center.

The expected cost of a new, 22,500-square-foot building is $5.46 million, according to Harvard Jolly, the architect. The cost for design and engineering is $550,000.

The cost to expand the existing 16,000-square-foot building that was built in 1987 is $5.67 million. The building would also be expanded to a total of 22,825-square-feet. The design and engineering costs for the renovation option are $590,000.

In either option, the costs do not include those associated with LEED certification.

“If the City desires these services, we can provide a separate proposal once we understand the scope,” Phillip Trezza, vice president of Harvard Jolly, wrote to city leaders.

Both the Friends of the Library and the Library Advisory Board have endorsed building the new facility close to the recreation center.

Another factor stacking up against the renovation option is that the building would have to be closed for up to a year during the work.

Many Countryside residents support the consolidation, Council member Bill Jonson said.

A parent can drop one child off for a class at the rec center, while spending time with the other at the library, Jonson said.

“How wonderful this joint facility would be,” Jonson said.

If you go:

What: City Council meeting 

When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 1

Where: City Hall, 112 S. Osceola Ave.

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