City close to unveiling
new library designs
■ tugene nas long-awaited
the new public library, which
has been in the works for
more than a decade
By Darren Freeman
Oregon Daily Emerald
Planning is near completion
for the new Eugene Public Li
brary, which will be located
downtown on West 10th Av
enue between Charnelton and
Olive streets. Library planners
recently finished conforming de
signs to their $31 million budget
and hope to unveil finalized
schemafifc* and#ecept feedback
from tit* during a
Nov. 16
Library official# “can't wait
to cut that ribbon” on the steps
of the new site, said Julie As
pinwall-Lamberts, chair of the
New Library Advisory Commit
tee. Aspinwall-Lamberts feels
the new library, scheduled to
open early in 2002, will better
serve Eugene than does the cur
rent library, located on West
13th Avenue also between
Charnelton and Olive Streets.
The library has outgrown its
37,000-square-foot building,
built in 1959, and organizers
have been striving to find more
space since 1986. After two
failed levy initiatives, the li
brary finally procured city
funding in 1998 when the city
council devoted $18.2 million
in urban renewal funds to the
new library.
Other funding collected thus
far includes $1.8 million in tax
dollars from the 1998 general
election levy 20-02, $1.4 mil
lion in donations and a $1 mil
lion matching pledge from an
anonymous donor.
A $100,000 pledge from
Friends of the Library as well as
the proceeds from the sales of the
downtown Sears building and
the current library building will
also go toward the new library.
Library officials continue fund
raising and hope to amass anoth
er $4.5 million in community do
nations.
Library planners say the new
four-story, 90,000-square-foot
location will offer more shelf
space and reading/study rooms,
which could be especially con
venient for University students
living off campus. Library offi
cials plan to purchase new
books and periodicals, and
computers will be scattered
throughout the library with
some clustered together for
group activities.
Citizens at community work
shops with library officials and
architects have requested a
“Northwest flavor” for the aes
thetic theme of the library, As
pinwall-Lamberts said. Library
builders will use Northwest
building materials and commis
sion original artwork from sev
en Oregon artists.
“[The new floor plan] was de
signed to be comfortable and
easy to use,” Library Project
Manager Carol Hildebrand said.
“And there will be open space
and quiet, both of which are
commodities we don’t have
now.”
Beyond an entryway contain
ing gardens of Northwest
plants, trees and a coffee shop,
the first floor will include chil
dren’s books and popular
books; the second floor will
Library construction
progress
The Eugene Public Library will
move from its cramped 1959
building on 13th Avenue to a
new, custom built downtown fa
cility.
August 1987 Library submits
report to City Council request
ing a new larger facility.
May 1994 Levy for library, fire
department and general build
ing improvements falls to pass
by less than t%efv*tt,
November 1994 Levy for new
library fails to pass, also by
less than 1% of vote.
1997-1998 Mavor's Library
Improvement Committee re
commends City Council dedi
cate funds to a new library.
June 1998 City Council dedi
cates Urban Renewal funds
and the new site to the library.
November 1998 General elec
tion levy 20-02 passes dedi
cating tax dollars to the library.
February 1999 Conceptual de
signs, including vague floor
plans, are finalized.
September 17,1999 Prelim
inary schematics made public
at downtown “kick off” cele
bration.
November 16,1999 Finalized
schematics to be made public
at a work session.
November 1999-2000 Land
clearing and preparation, per
mitting and bidding.
Summer-Fall 2000 Construc
tion to begin.
Early 2002 Grand opening.
SOURCE: Eugene Public Library
contain nonfiction, periodicals,
reference materials and a busi
ness center; the third floor will
house an adult fiction section;
and the fourth floor will host
business space leased by city
work divisions. All proceeds
from the leases will be funneled
into the library’s budget.
“We’ve designed a library
that will last — that won’t be
dated — that will be placed on
the historic register in 100
years,” said Aspinwall-Lam
berts. “It will complement our
city and provide a public focal
point.”
But before construction can
begin, the new site has to be
cleared and prepared. The city
needs to contract companies to
demolish the Rice ’N’ Spice
Oriental Foods building and
adjacent parking lot, decontam
inate the soil and conduct an
archeological survey of the lot,
as required by city law.
Also, the city is in the
process of rerouting sewer
lines. Library planners hope to
begin construction next sum
mer or fall.
Finalized schematic designs
are scheduled to be made public
at a community workshop Nov.
16 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at
the First United Methodist
Church at 1376 Olive St.
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