Page turner: City preps for library move to new $15 million facility

WASILLA — A vision 30 years in the making is in its final stages staring this week, as preparations have begun to close the current Wasilla Public Library building ahead of the historic move to a gleaming new $15 million facility less than a half-mile away.

Starting Monday, the library building will be closed as managers and staff begin the process of moving some 50,000 pieces to the new 24,000-square facility at the corner of Crusey Street and Swanson Avenue.

According to the city, library patrons can still use the book drop at the old building until that process gets up and running at the new facility. Those seeking holds for books should designate another borough library for it to be delivered to during that time.

The current library building is around 8,200 square feet, a cramped environment with no room left for expansion, according to the city. It debuted in its current location in 1978, a 4,000-square-foot space that was soon expanded to its current size less than 10 years later. The Wasilla Library has been in existence since 1938, when the Wasilla Library Association opened the facility with 91 books.

The four-and-half week closure will culminate with a Sept. 22 ribbon cutting, according to Wasilla public works director Archie Giddings, who added a soft opening could come as early as Sept. 20.

Ground was broken on the project in March 2015. After years of expansion discussion, the project gained steam after a 2006 needs assessment found library space was inadequate to meet the city’s expanding population. Initially, the city sought to use the Meta Rose building on Yenlo Street as a replacement, but eventually abandoned the plan due to cost concerns in converting the building for library use as well as issues with parking and future growth at the location.

The city reached its $15 million threshold for funding the project in part to a 2013 voter-approved 1-percent hike in the city sales tax put in place for library construction that was matched with other funding sources.

Since the funding goal was reached, the sales tax increase reached a sunset date at the end of 2015, meaning the city’s rate returned to 2 percent on Jan. 1. Wasilla voters rejected a proposed stay in the 3-percent rate in the October 2015 election.

The Mat-Su Borough donated the four-acre parcel through a transfer to the City of Wasilla.

Other funding came from various entities, among them the Friends of the Wasilla Library, the State of Alaska, the Rasmuson Foundation, and the Foraker Group. Friends of the Library has reached $180,000 in fundraising toward a $250,000 matching grant from the Rasmuson Foundation, according to the group’s website.

The new facility will triple the available space for books, enhance the technology available for library users and boost parking. According to the city, the Wasilla Library has grown to more than 80,000 annual visitors.

Giddings praised all involved in the project Friday, especially ECI/Hyer Inc., the library designer and Cornerstone General Contractors, the project lead.

“It has been a great team effort between ECI and Cornerstone,” Giddings said. “We have been really pleased.”

The building is full of innovative design features and also boasts a highly-insulated wall panel system that never has to be painted.

Giddings said movers have been lined up and a new fleet of book carts secured to start the process of hauling books and other material down the street.

“We will basically fill them (the carts) up with books, run them to the trucks and head to the new building, where they will be wheeled into the new space,” he said.

Giddings said conceptual plans and drawings are one thing, but seeing the finished product has been impressive.

“I am pretty good at visualizing things, but the architect really did an outstanding job,” Giddings said. “It is a really warm environment.”

Parking has always been a problem at the current library site, with patrons sharing 14 spaces with the Dorothy Page Museum next door. The new library has a whopping 93 spaces, but Giddings said even that layout is functional.

“Even with that many spaces, it isn’t acres of asphalt,” he said. “It is a nice layout. They (the contractor) were able to put 80 trees back in.”

Giddings said plans for the old library building include moving some offices and displays from the Page building, effectively making all the facilities there museum-related. He added the long-range goal was to refurbish the historic main building.

“It is a long range goal, but we want to restore that building and make it into a community hall,” Giddings said.

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com