Manhattan Beach library to double in size
A sketch of what the new Manhattan Beach library will look like. COURTESY OF THE CITY OF MANHATTAN BEACH
A new library is on its way to Manhattan Beach.
Manhattan Beach city council voted unanimously last week to approve a $1.2 million agreement with Johnson Favaro, an architecture and urban design company based in Culver City, for reconstruction of the Manhattan Beach library.
The funds for this project come from residents’ property taxes. The city’s general funds will not be used to fund the project, according to the city staff report.
About a year ago, the council decided to demolish the current building and construct a two-story building in its place. The cost to demolish and reconstruct was almost the same as just adding on to the current structure, according to a staff report.
“(The current) library is too small for its purposes,” said Margaret Donnellan Todd, Los Angeles County librarian. The reconstructed library will be twice the size of the current one, and include adult reading areas, a teen and children section, and a 100-seat community meeting room, according to the staff report.
Los Angeles County will oversee the management and completion of the project from here on out, but the city maintains a role in the project – the city will choose the architect and support the residents in dealing with the county regarding project design and construction.
The project has a total budget of $22.7 million, which will be paid for by library property taxes and a $12.1 million county-issued bond with a 25-year repayment period, said City Manager Dave Carmany. The city expects a groundbreaking ceremony by December 2012, Carmany said.
At last week’s council meeting, members of the council debated if and how the library will serve the community in the future. “What is a library in this day and age, and what will it be in 20 to 30 years?” asked Councilmember David Lesser. In the digital age of e-readers and tablets, he wondered if the concept of a library would eventually become obsolete.
Todd said the library would still serve the community, whether as a meeting place, cultural center, or to provide materials that are not available digitally. “It will still be a place where people come to work and study,” she said, adding, “Parents are still going to enjoy using picture books with children.”