Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, and San Mateo Mayor Rick Bonilla speak at an event celebrating $1.3 million in state funding being given to San Mateo to upgrade and repair the Marina Branch Library.
San Mateo’s Marina Branch Library has received a $1.3 million financial boost from the state toward renovation and repairs, with the funding going to structural damage shifts in the building’s foundation.
Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, advocated for funding at the state level and received it thanks to an unprecedented surplus in the state budget. He presented the money to San Mateo officials at the 50-year-old Marina Library Aug. 5.
“Libraries are absolutely phenomenal for neighborhoods and communities in terms of stability and access to the world,” Mullin said. “Libraries are beacons to democracy, and I am so proud to be able to support this project making sure this library continues to serve this wonderful community.”
Mayor Rick Bonilla praised Mullin and the state for providing money to help the community keep a critical educational resource.
“The condition it’s in right now is not going to get better by itself,” Bonilla said. “It needs this work. This $1.3 million is going to go a long way.”
The $1.3 million is a key step toward funding the $5 million total reconstruction project to improve the foundation and keep it open. Without the repairs, the city said the building would likely need to be razed within a few years. Large parts of the floor closest to the shore are sinking, creating a slant in the floor that tilts equipment. The shifts create a dangerous scenario for seniors and kids walking in the area.
“We are concerned about people who don’t have great balance issues, like seniors and kids,” City Librarian James Moore said.
Moore said the construction would help address the branch’s daily architecture issues. The back patio, once one of the most popular library areas, is often not accessible due to the building shifts and the door getting stuck. Department of Public Works periodically has to come and shave parts of the door to get it open. Four years ago, the city’s engineering study said it was structurally sound for the near future. However, it found the branch needs significant repairs or must be raised because of the floor slopes and the soil the building is on.
Mullin said the spin-off effects of rising sea levels are being experienced all up and down the Peninsula, with the money critical to fixing the library floor and protecting infrastructure from risk in the coming decades.
“This is going to be public money well spent in terms of stabilizing this foundation,” Mullin said.
Moore said while discussions must still occur with city staff, a major overhaul to fix the foundation would likely close the branch temporarily and officials would set up a temporary library nearby in the neighborhood. Moore praised Mullin for listening to requests and coming through with funding, calling it a big step in the right direction. Repairs will still require more funding, with Moore hopeful this money will encourage businesses and other funding sources to finish the job.
“This gets us moving, and in my experience, once you can show you’ve made some substantial progress on your own, it makes it easier to build momentum,” Moore said.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
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helllrazer9197 said:
I used to go to Laurela Park 1987...hate to see it go.
CA Is Burning said:
Shut down Newsoms' high speed rail and build a bridge from South SF / Candlestick to San Lorenzo / San Leandro.
Sue Lempert said:
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