Consultants will study sites for new consolidated library branch

YOUNGSTOWN

A team of consultants from Cleveland and Youngstown will study potential locations for a new public library that will combine and replace the existing Campbell, Struthers and Brownlee Woods library branches.

The team pairs HBM Architects of Cleveland with BSHM Architects Inc. of Youngstown; and their study will cost between $27,400 and $37,200, depending on the extent of services provided.

Although the study leaders are architects Dan Meehan of HBM and Brett Hendricks of BSHM, their services under this contract will pertain only to site selection; and they will not be providing architectural services, said Heidi Daniel, library director.

The hiring of those consultants was approved this morning by the buildings and sites committee of the board of trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.

Daniel also told the committee she’d like to consider hiring a consultant to study the planned $14.6 million renovation of main library to make that project best fit into major campus area improvements planned by Youngstown State University, but the committee took no formal action on that proposal.