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Steps taken toward new West Side library
YOUNGSTOWN
Trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County have taken two major steps toward replacement of the West Side library branch.
The board authorized its buildings and sites committee to review architects’ qualifications for the design of the new library and make a recommendation to the board.
The board also adopted a naming-rights policy for its buildings, which says such rights may be granted to a donor who contributes at least 60 percent of the estimated project cost.
A still-unnamed donor proposes to make a major gift toward the West Side library project in exchange for naming rights.
Heidi Daniel, library director, proposed at Thursday’s trustee meeting a $2.8 million project, in which the existing deteriorating branch at 2815 Mahoning Ave. would be demolished and replaced with a new building on the same library-owned site.
The new, single-story building, which would open in 2017, would heavily emphasize technology and have meeting and study rooms.
It would serve as a neighborhood branch and as a place to house materials and vehicles for “pop-up” libraries that visit housing projects, schools and community events.
Daniel said the library system won’t commit itself to building a new branch unless the system can afford to pay for the building in full, with or without a donor’s gift.
As has been the case with other library projects, the new West Side library would be built using the library system’s building-repair fund and without borrowing any money, Daniel said.
“It’s wonderful to hear that the library board is taking into consideration keeping a presence on the West Side,” said Sandy Slanina, a member of the Rocky Ridge Neighborhood Association on the city’s West Side.
“We’re very excited that we’re being given this opportunity,” she said, adding that the existing site is located conveniently along a regular Western Reserve Transit Authority bus route.
“We also have schools that are in close proximity,” she said.
Mayor John A. McNally told the library trustees that the city would be “interested in helping with” any water-supply and wastewater-system improvements associated with the library project.