January 2011 Building Update: Ongoing Efforts

Construction in New Castle has stalled while we wait on a building permit. We will hopefully have it in hand prior to the start of June. This has delayed the reopening of this Branch in its home location until next March, but the temporary branch is going strong next door to Subway and City market at 820 Castle Valley Blvd. Watch for updates on the interior plans at the Branch.

We are in the process of selecting a design-build team for the new Silt Library with a hopeful ground breaking of sometime this fall. The Library District is seeking creative solutions to constructing an energy-efficient and green facility that will help us expand services in Silt while keeping construction costs down. We should have a team on board by June 1.

The Library District is continuing to work with Roaring Fork School District #1 to purchase property at the corner of Sopris Avenue and Third Street in Carbondale. The library will be approximately 13,000 square feet and will share parking with the existing school and businesses located nearby. The Library District hopes to close on this property by the end of May.

The Library District is involved in a joint effort with the City of Glenwood Springs, the Glenwood Springs Downtown Development Authority, and Colorado Mountain College to construct a new Branch Library in downtown Glenwood Springs at the corner of Cooper Avenue and 8th Street. Currently the team is looking to hire an Owner's Representative to assist the group in developing a constructability assessment and move forward with selecting a designer and determine if the site will meet the current plan. The site will include a new 14,000 square foot library, off street parking and a community plaza.

All of the Library District's construction projects are registered with the Governor's Energy Office's High Performance Building Program and will seek LEED certification as part of the project. The Library District is committed to providing safe and efficient facilities, and is working to ensure that overall operational costs for the District remain low as we expand our facilities to meet the library needs of the future.

The Library District intends to complete all of the remaining library projects will be completed by the end of 2013 to take advantage of current cost savings associated with the slower economy. Please check the construction page regularly for new requests as well as addenda and updates.

-Amelia Shelley, Executive Director