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49 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, November 29, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | 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 November 18, 2003 Library opening moved to April By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune After a series of delays, the new Medford main library is now expected to open in early April, months behind schedule. "It’s taken a lot of time out of everyone’s life," said John Yeoman, superintendent of the project for general contractor S.D. Deacon. "The process has been hard, especially getting to the end." The contractors had originally expected to finish by August, but now say major construction should end in late December. It will take an additional three months to install shelving, furniture, books and other materials. Advertisement Initial estimates called for the library to be opened to the public this month. But, from the start, the project has had unexpected problems, said Yeoman. The foundation was designed on the assumption the soil could hold 6,000 pounds per square foot. However, the footings had to be redesigned when it was determined the soil could only handle 3,000 pounds per square foot, said Yeoman. The latest snag involved a chalky buildup on the signature stonework. Workers will sandblast the blotchy stains away during the next two weeks. Yeoman, who is proud of the project despite the setbacks, said his company’s original estimates of $12 million to build the library have increased to almost $14 million. Dave Kanner, deputy county administrator, said the project still comes in under the $14 million originally estimated. Some of the extra costs include features that were added in when the project initially came in well under budget. These include reading gardens at $400,000 and a water feature at the entrance for $180,000. Kanner estimated that the necessary extra work done by S.D. Deacon has driven up costs by about $1 million. Total cost for the main library, including construction, design, furniture and other fixtures, will be $18 million. The money is part of a $38.9 million library bond approved by voters in 2000 to expand or construct 14 branch buildings. Kanner said that once the contractor signs off on the job, county officials will do a walk-through of the building, creating a punch list of problems, such as nicks in the wall or equipment that doesn’t work properly. "There are hundreds of those kinds of items for a building of this size," he said. Ronnie Budge, county library services director, said it still hasn’t been determined who will pay for the $60,000 cost to sandblast the blemishes from the stonework. Library officials plan to hold a grand opening on April 4 to allow the public a chance to view the facility. The library will be open for regular business on April 5. The current Carnegie library will be closed for four weeks while books and other materials are moved into the new facility. An exact time to close the facility hasn’t been set, but library officials expect it will be sometime in March. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] 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 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder 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