Dream library finally taking shape

"It's finally going to happen," said Councilman Dave Warden.

Built in the 1960s, the current library stands at a paltry 5,600 square feet and has languished in a state of disrepair for several years. When cities up and down the Peninsula went after state grants to rebuild their libraries a few years ago, neighboring San Mateo triumphed by capturing the largest grant in the state that's allowing it to build a new state-of-the-art facility triple the size of its current one.

Meanwhile, Belmont's grant application was turned down.

"Not only did we get turned down, we were also ranked in one of the lowest categories," Warden said.

In fact, the city's application was ranked so low that officials decided it wouldn't be worth re-applying for the grant the following year. That would've been a waste of time, Warden said. City officials instead took matters into their own hands.

In 2000, residents passed a $71 parcel tax that will raise $8.65 million for the library. The measure passed with 74 percent of voters, indicating a widespread support for a new library. City officials were able to sell off the bonds at an advantageous interest rate to boot.

Still, the city faced funding hurdles.

The original idea was to build a 28,000-square-foot library. That project cost too much because it would have required that parking be built underground, said Warden - besides, that project would have overwhelmed the site.

Now city officials are looking forward to the 20,040-square-foot version that it's finally getting. Although slightly smaller than the city originally hoped, the library will still contain key design elements like a book nook and a little coffee bar.

"It keeps the intent and spirit of the original design," Warden said. "It's really the perfect size plan."

Just a few months ago, some drama unfolded when the city went out to bid on the library's construction and got responses that exceeded its budget. There were two competing versions of the new library - one at 21,000 square feet and a cheaper version at 18,000 square feet; the difference between the two models was $1.5 million.

Since then, a library task force headed by resident David Braunstein has rallied to bridge that gap. Braunstein said the group has already raised $325,00 and is confident it can raise the remainder of the money that will expand the new library's size.

City officials expect to have detailed drawings of the new library by mid-summer. The drawings will spell out all details of the dream library from the roof to the floor plan. Construction will begin no later than January and wrap up by April 2006.

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.