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54 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, April 5, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 30, 2004 Central Point library work may start soon By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — Groundbreaking for the long-awaited city library should take place next month, pending county officials’ final approval of the cost. Negotiations are wrapping up with project general contractor Todd Construction to reach a "guaranteed maximum price" to ensure the project will not go over budget, said Dave Kanner, assistant county administrator. The building could be complete in 18 to 24 months. Once completed, the building, which sits next to City Hall, will serve as a library on the ground level with a second floor for future city office space. The city is building another building nearby for new, larger City Council chambers. Kanner said construction of the two-story, 16,700-square-foot building involved an intergovernmental agreement because of shared use by the county and city. Total budget for the project is $3.66 million, of which $1.7 million, the library’s share, will be funded with parts of a $39 million voter-approved bond passed in May 2000 for new libraries around the county. The city will pay for the second story, council chambers and any costs related to adding the second level. Advertisement Before the project is complete, the city and county also will draw up an agreement to address maintenance and ownership issues. "Basically, the end result which we would like to have is for the county to own the ground floor of the building and the city to own the second floor and council chambers," Kanner said. "It’s been done elsewhere, although it’s not very common in the public sector, and we expect it to work out just fine." The existing library, a 2,600-square-foot storefront along East Pine Street, has been in use since 1970 and lacks adequate space and parking as well asrestrooms, library officials have said. The library portion of the new building will triple library space at 8,100 square feet. It will include a collection of 29,760 items, 16 computer workstations and room for growth. Meeting rooms will seat a total of 60 people and allow for after-hours access for use by the community. The city has no immediate plans to use the second floor of the building but has been in discussions with an agency interested in leasing the space, said City Administrator Phil Messina. Upon completion of the new council chambers, the police department likely will take over the existing council chambers, Messina said. The city also plans to rework the lobby of City Hall and move the entrance from Second to Third streets to complement the new buildings. For more information on the project or other library construction, visit www.rebuildourlibraries.org . Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford.E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times