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CLEAR Temp: 77 °F Wind: WNW at 4 mph Friday, August 15, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 3, 2003 Skelton, Straus and Seibert Architects This computer rendering shows details of Central Point�s new library and City Hall complex. Residents can take a closer look at the project at a meeting on Tuesday. Central Point’s library plan revealed to public By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT � Residents can take a virtual tour of their new library Tuesday when architects unveil designs for the 16,700-square-foot, two-story building that will double as a City Hall. The public meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the current City Hall, 155 S. Second St. The existing library, a 2,600-square-foot storefront along East Pine Street that has been in use since 1970, is being replaced as part of a $39 million bond approved in 2000 to replace or refurbish 14 libraries countywide. The bond will fund $1.7 million for the library portion. The city will kick in an equivalent (but yet undetermined) amount for the City Hall with a small capitalization loan to be repaid over 20 years through the general fund. Advertisement The city’s portion will construct a second story above the library for city offices, a separate City Council chambers nearby and other items, such as an elevator. Margaret Jakubcin, Jackson County Library Services regional manager, said city and library officials have worked for the past three months with architects Skelton, Straus and Seibert of Medford, who designed the original City Hall in 1980. The Central Point library, Jakubcin said, will have features similar to other county libraries being rebuilt, including community meeting rooms and rest room facilities with after-hours access, an open floor plan with ample staff work space, conference and study rooms and enough room for future expansion. "People need to come take a look at this design because it’s hard to do justice on paper," Jakubcin said. "This particular presentation will be a lot of visuals including a virtual walk-around of the buildings." Jakubcin said the biggest change from the old library, aside from tripling the space, will be parking and public rest rooms, which were non-existent at the old building. "Rest rooms will be a big deal for the community," Jakubcin said with a chuckle. "Although Ray’s (Food Place) has been very good to let library patrons borrow theirs, it really will be nice to finally have a public rest room." Community planner Matt Samitore encouraged citizens with an interest in the new facility to attend Tuesday’s meeting. "Pretty much the time is now for the community to come in and comment on the design," he said. "An earlier meeting was not very well attended and we’re hoping that citizens will show up this time and let us know what they think." Design plans will then return to city planners for final approval. The project likely will break ground late this year or in early 2004 and construction is expected to take between 18 and 24 months. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times