Library plans more than halfway done

WASILLA — Plans for the local library are about 65 percent complete, and the city could break ground on the new facility by next spring, officials said.

That means library patrons could expect to step into the fully constructed facility sometime in 2016, assuming an 18-month construction time, according to Wasilla Public Works Director Archie Giddings. A $1.7-million grant from the Legislature accelerated progress toward an estimated $12-million construction cost, with an additional $3 million set aside for engineering and design costs for the location at the corner of Crusey and Swanson streets, Giddings said.

Most of the major decisions about design have been made.

“At 65 percent, it’s pretty locked in,” Giddings said. “The next 35 percent will be small things. The floor plan is locked in.”

Between a 1 percent increase in the city sales tax and the state contributions, the city has accumulated about $7 million, or almost half, of the library’s total cost, said Mayor Bert Cottle.

The city has eschewed issuing bonds for the facility’s construction in favor of accumulating construction funds before breaking ground.

In addition to state funding, any portion of the proceeds of a potential sale of the Meta Rose building over and above recouped city costs will go toward the library, officials have said.

“I think everybody’s excited about it,” Cottle said.

The fund-ahead model means the city will save approximately $2.5 million in interest and bond issuance fees, Cottle added.

Despite this relatively unique model, the library has proven to be relatively less complicated than other public construction projects Giddings has seen.

“It’s actually going really smoothly,” he said. “There’s plenty of budget.”

Library officials are excited to finally have a facility up to the city’s substantial library needs, said Library Director KJ Martin-Albright.

“We outgrew our library as a community about 20 years ago,” she said.

The new facility will almost triple the square footage available, from approximately 8,000 square feet to about 23,000, officials said. In addition to more elbow-room, the planned building includes areas for children and adults, as well as a space designed to accommodate teenagers.

They also plan to transition from their 7 desktop computer models to 43 mostly laptop computers, Martin-Albright said.

The difference means that instead of designing discrete areas for computers and books, the library can contain open, inviting spaces designed to accommodate both readers and computer users, Martin-Albright said.

“That helps us provide more flexibility for the building,” she said.

The library will also add about 35,000 additional books for those old-fashioned types, Martin-Albright said.

Among the biggest complaints surrounding the current space is parking, and designs call for a 90-car parking lot to accommodate area motorists, officials said.

The general theme is to make a better library experience for all, Martin-Albright said.

“To serve enough people, we need a bigger building, we need more resources,” she said.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.