Appleton Public Library Building Project Update For November 2021

Press release from the Appleton Public Library:

November 17, 2021

City and library staff continue to work with architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) on the library building project. The following progress has been made in the past month:

Design, Community Input and Communication

Additional Site Assessment Updates

Additional soil testing was completed to determine design for foundation and footings. Recent testing went better than anticipated - which will allow us to use standard spread footings.

Parking

Meetings were held with Walker Parking Consultants, SOM, City of Appleton Department of Public Works, City of Appleton Facilities Management, and library stakeholders including Trustees, Friends, staff and members of the Library Building Project Advisory Committee.

Interim Library Needs

City and library staff continue to evaluate the best option for a temporary location and work through lease negotiations. The library has direction from the move manager to start preparing as this will be an extensive process that involves careful decision making to understand what is moved, sold or disposed of in accordance with City of Appleton and library policies. Library staff are also coordinating with the Outagamie Waupaca Library System (OWLS) on issues of technology relocation. OWLS is currently a tenant in the library and will be relocating to their own offices.

College Avenue North Neighborhood Planning

The College Avenue North Neighborhood Plan work continues. RDG held focus groups for library stakeholders including Trustees, Friends of Appleton Public Library and members of the Library Building Project Advisory Committee. A design studio was held in City Center November 9-10. The website planappleton.com allows for community input as well.

Budget and Funding

The 2022 City of Appleton Budget was approved November 10 - providing $10 million for 2022 with $13,542,500 planned for 2023. The city has approved $2 million in municipal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for broadband network infrastructure at the facility. City and library staff will work with Friends of Appleton Public Library in the development of fundraising opportunities. Staff have also submitted a grant for the State of Wisconsin’s Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant to help mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic.

Staff are working with SOM and Boldt on cost estimates and will be updating the City Council Finance Committee in Council Chambers Monday, November 22 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be streamed on Granicus (www.appleton.org) and will be archived to be viewed later.

Stay up-to-date on the library building project at apl.org/planning. Sign up for email updates at apl.org/email by selecting “Building Process Updates.”

This press release was produced by the Appleton Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.