Expansion of St. Charles Public Library creeping forward

A five-year march toward a bigger, better St. Charles Public Library may now have a payoff in sight.

City officials have begun reviewing the preliminary design plans for a library expansion that would basically double the size of the existing facility. The expansion plans head to the city's Planning and Development Commission tonight.

The library will need a yet-to-be-determined amount of money to fund the expansion. Early estimates from designers based on similar expansions place the cost in the area of $22 million.

Taxpayers might see a referendum on the ballot as soon as November 2010, but library trustees have not locked in exactly when they'll come asking for more money. Library Director Diana Brown said trustees are very aware of how tight money is right now for local taxpayers.

"The timing of the referendum still really depends on the economy," Brown said. "The economy has slowed progress on the expansion."

All the new property needed for the expansion is already purchased. Indeed, the first physical progress toward the library expansion is likely to occur before the end of the year and without the need for a referendum, when homes across the street from the main entrance of the library at 1 S. Sixth Ave. will be demolished to make way for a new parking lot. The library is currently accepting bids for asbestos removal before taking the homes down. A study confirmed renting out the homes while waiting for voters to approve a tax increase to fund the full expansion would only result in the library losing money in the interim. Some of the homes need major structural repairs, including a new roof at one residence. The new parking lot will help create the 280 spaces required to accommodate the 112,000-square-foot building the expansion plan envisions.

The expansion will engulf what is currently the main parking lot for the library. Underground parking has been ruled out as too expensive.

The expansion plans have already received the blessing of the city's Historic Preservation Commission. The library and some of the expansion zone sits in a historical district. Expansion plans call for the new structure to mimic the design of the current library, but with a more modern flavor and more natural light.

The city's plan commission reviewed the project last week and gave it a thumbs-up, with only a few concerns about access and the need to move some street lighting and underground pipes. There was also a push to use as many "green" elements as possible.

A portion of the roof on the new building will be a "green" roof. And permeable pavement is being considered for both the new parking lot and sidewalks.

"The plans were well received," Brown said.

An ongoing part of the expansion discussion will be the possible creation of a new branch of the library on the west end of the city. Such a branch would mainly consist of a service point provided in a storefront where popular materials would be made available without having to travel to the main library.

Brown said community comments received thus far have been mostly positive with the exception of some concerns about residents not being able to afford the expansion right now.

"That's what it all boils down to - how much does the community want to support?" Brown said.