Fox Lake gets early look at new library

Some of Fox Lake's biggest book fans got a sneak peek Tuesday night at what a new, $14.6 million library might look like.

At the Fox Lake Library District board meeting, representatives from Elgin-based Burnidge Cassell architects laid out plans for a new Fox Lake Library with low sloped roofs and rows of glass windows.

"We're trying to make it possible to get a good amount of natural light anywhere in the building," architect Rick McCarthy told the board. "We want it to be a bright and happy place."

In drawings and computer modeling, the new building featured a front entryway with glass facades and a study room on the second floor with a line of large windows.

The new building would be two stories high and 23,000 square feet larger than the current 17,000 square foot library. The facility would include an Internet cafe, study areas and a grander children's section.

To finance the project, voters would have to approve a Feb. 5 referendum request for a tax-rate increase.

McCarthy said Tuesday night architects were seeking feedback about whether they liked the general idea of the designs.

While responses were generally positive, some trustees said they wanted a more traditional design.

Trustee Kimberly Isaacson said she thought some of the angled lines were distracting and not inviting.

"This is a forward-looking design," Library Director Harry Bork said, disagreeing. "They really listened to some of the things we said."

Planners also stressed any details of the project were not even close to finalized.

"There's lots of details that have to be worked out," Chris Killinger of Burnidge Cassell said. "It's still very early in the game."