Democracy on the Front Lines
City Administrator’s Blog
Walter Denton
June 23, 2010
You may have seen last week’s O’Fallon Progress article on the Library Master Plan. We have received several questions and comments regarding the article and the future of the O’Fallon Public Library. Below is a brief Q&A on how this project has progressed:
What was the purpose of the Master Plan?
When Vernon Ohlendorf left $2 million in his will for the O’Fallon Public Library, Library Director Molly Scanlan and the Library Board took a deliberative approach to determine how best to use the donation. A library consultant from the University of Illinois was hired to develop a 20-year Building Program for the future of the library. Then an architect was hired to conduct a Master Plan to determine whether the existing library could be expanded to correspond with the 20-year Program. The article reported the architect’s Master Plan final report and recommendations to the Library Board.
What are the architect’s recommendations?
The architect’s conclusion is that it would cost too much to renovate the existing building for any expansion project to be cost effective. The exterior of the building is unique and distinctive, but the internal systems are old and failing: the roof, HVAC, windows, and skylights all need replacement and the building code requires that the mezzanine be enclosed for fire safety. Mr. Ohlendorf’s donation could be used to expand the current library but we would also have to upgrade the existing building and there is not enough acreage at the site to expand the building as the community grows. The architect’s recommendation is that a new library will need to be built to meet the requirements in the 20-year Program.
How will we pay for a new library? Will this raise taxes?
This is still very early in the process and no analysis has been conducted on how any of this would be funded. The report does not provide any analysis on how to pay for anything (taxes or grants or whatever). That decision will be ultimately up to the Library Board and the City Council. After the architect’s presentation, the Library Board accepted the report but did not take action. The Board is continuing its due diligence and has requested that the architect evaluate possible sites for a new library and cost estimates for those sites. We are still collecting information and no decisions have been made.
The library is a wonderful asset to the community and we want to make sure it meets the needs of residents for years to come. Stay tuned!
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