Expansion Design Unveiled

The proposed design for Ames Public Library’s expansion has been unveiled, and library staff are delighted with the results!

This design is the result of several months of re-drafting the library expansion plan to conform to the input we have received from public forums, one-on-one meetings with community leaders, and fundraising research. We listened, reviewed the objectives, and listened some more. We carefully considered whether or not the time was right for fundraising and whether we could accomplish our objectives for an expansion project that would serve the community for the next 15-20 years. We are confident that we have such a project.

Besides the need to expand for about 15-20 years of growth, we determined that to be successful we needed to fulfill these objectives:

• Maintain the original 1904 façade, as it was re-designed for the 1940 addition.
• Keep the 1940 façade facing Sixth Street, thereby saving the entire 1904-1940 sections of the library building.
• Keep as much of the 1984 addition as possible, while correcting the deficiencies that have become apparent during the past 25 years of use.
• Construct an addition over the 7,000 sq. ft. section of the 1984 addition that was engineered to accept a second story, and expand into the vacant lot that used to have the Strand Paint building.
• Provide enough space for collection growth as well as more seating and study tables, especially within the youth services area.
• Significantly expand the area for young adults (currently divided between the APL Zone and the children’s area).
• Separate the youth services functions from the general library area.
• Provide more meeting spaces for local organizations and library programs.
• Provide a garage for safe loading and egress of the bookmobile.
• Open up the public areas for better visibility, comfort, and wheelchair accessibility.
• Provide for staff work areas adjacent to their areas of public service.
• Keep operational costs down to a standard as close to current level as possible.

The result is a beautiful building that melds past, present, and future with a well-designed floor plan for both adult and children’s services.

The floor plan, artist renderings, and other related information are available online at www.amespubliclibrary.org/building.asp.

The estimated project cost for the proposed library expansion is under $20 million. The funding will be a “public-private” partnership, with much of the cost (about $15 million) funded by bonds and the remainder by philanthropic donations. We estimate that the bond will cost homeowners less than $30 a year per $100,000 assessed value. We will be working toward a bond vote in the city-wide election this coming November.

If you have any questions about the design, the floor plan, or the project in general please post them here!

First Look at Expansion Design

The Ames Public Library Board of Trustees will get its first look at the proposed library expansion project tonight (February 17) at 7pm in City Hall’s Council Chambers, and you’re invited! We hope you’ll get a chance to stop into the meeting, watch it on Channel 12, or watch it on Channel 12’s on-demand website.

The architects at Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle have been hard at work designing a fantastic library for Ames. The proposed design expands on the current library buildings, preserving the historic charm of the library while melding it with modern spaces for Ames to enjoy into the future.

We hope you’ll love the design as much as we do! Please post any questions or comments here, use the online form, or give us a call at 239-5630.

Library Expansion Project Moving Forward

With the completion of the The Hodge Group’s fund-raising feasibility study, Ames Public Library is ready to move forward with the library expansion project. We now have an expert assessment that $20 million is the upper limit for a library expansion project in Ames. This sum is dependent upon a successful fund drive for $4 million, possible public and/or private grants up to $1 million, and a successful bond vote of $15 million. (We expect the impact of a $15 million bond to be about $2.29 per month for a $100,000 home.) We are confident that this amount will achieve our objectives for a library equipped to serve a growing city in the years ahead.

For the past two years, we have held community meetings on library expansion based on our consultant’s report on space needs and options suggested by our architect. We have listened intently at these meetings and read the discussions online. With all of this input, coupled with the potential for funding, we are ready to begin planning an expanded library facility. We are directing our architect to create a design for additions to the current building in the areas originally intended for expansion. The core of the building will remain intact and the historic sections will continue to house library operations.

This expansion project will allow us to continue to grow and adapt the library’s collection in the years ahead, provide space for young people to learn and grow in a secure environment, and provide the flexibility to respond to emerging technologies. We thank everyone who attended public meetings, communicated with us online, participated in one-on-one interviews, or responded to our telephone survey. Together, we have reached agreement on a plan that best reflects the needs and wants of the Ames community.

Library Plans to Expand at Current Site

The site for the library expansion project will be exactly where the public library stands today. The decision to proceed with the project at the current site has evolved from community input and discussions with civic leaders since the Library Board of Trustees decided last fall to build on the parking lot site across from City Hall.

The main reason for the original decision to build at the City Hall site was to build a library uninhibited by the design constraints presented by the current library building. The disruption of library service at the current site during an 18 to 24 month expansion period was also a factor.

However, several problems arose from the "City Hall site" that held legitimate concern:

• Parking and traffic congestion at west end of downtown Ames would be aggravated by a library that is expected to draw a half million visitors per year. (The current site has a parking lot already in place, which could be expanded by building a parking deck above it.)
• Despite an aggressive effort to find an alternate use for the current library building, one was not forthcoming. Developers were clear that the current building held no viable commercial application. Human service agencies and arts organizations found the building too expensive to retro-fit for their needs..
• The current site is adjacent to the Octagon Center for the Arts and the Ames Historical Society. This union has become established as a cultural anchor for the Main Street Cultural District which is important to the vitality of downtown Ames.
• There were concerns about the preservation of the historic sections of the library building if it were sold.

After discussing these issues, the Board of Trustees decided to plan the expansion at the current library site.

The current building will present its own set of design challenges to overcome. The most recent addition in 1984 was burdened by design compromises in functionality that has perpetuated the inefficient use of space. Serious problems under the regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will also need to be corrected.

Upon examination of these problems, it became apparent that the layout of space and office areas within the historic sections would be more favorable to a museum and archive. The Ames Historical Society has expressed interest in their museum and archive being housed within the historic section of the library building. As both Ames Public Library and the Ames Historical Society have a common objective to preserve the history of Ames and make it accessible to the public, we are now discussing how to make this partnership work for the benefit of the people of Ames.