By Jon Haupt
As the months roll by, the Healdsburg Library Modernization Project continues along its steady path. Week by week, the contractors complete one task after another, bringing us closer to the reopening of the 139 Piper St. library we all know and love.
This month, we’re happy to share a few details about how the project is going and what to expect when the Piper Street location reopens. I had a walkthrough of the facility last week to examine the progress, and continue to attend construction meetings to learn more about what is happening from week to week.
Our local project and logistics contractor, Facilities By Design, has prepared a framed mat of furniture fabric and materials swatches for display in the Mini Library at 1557 Healdsburg Ave. Come and check out a book; while you are here, have a look at the swatches as well as the approved floor plan for our reopening.
Facelifting
The budget is the same as was set last year, with Sonoma County Libraries putting in $2.1 million, the City of Healdsburg adding an undetermined amount to work on ADA improvements and Friends of the Library contributing just over $100K for special features.
As well as much-needed updates to infrastructure, the building is undergoing a major facelift, and many new features will be found throughout the reopened library. The floor plan offers a sneak preview of some of the major changes to the layout, including a single-service desk, new restrooms, adjustments to the shelving layout, and exciting changes to our teen and children’s areas, as well as a remodeled Wine Library and Millie Howie Patio.
The sidewalks, sideways and parking lot will be ADA-compliant to both entrances. The Millie Howie Patio has been expanded and its shape changed somewhat, as well as leveled with a new fence installed. There will be a new bike rack. The entry doors on the South side are being replaced.
The new features include a wall to the right of the entry separating the front area from the Children’s Room that will have a glass panel with decorative wood paneling resembling madrone tree branches.
Work in Progress
Recently the contractors have been working on sidewalk and walkway improvements; construction of a new patio fence; critical upgrades to electrical and plumbing systems; preparation for adding new windows in the south-facing brick walls; completion of restroom wall construction; drywall and tile installation; and ceiling installation.
They are installing three windows on the Piper Street side this week and next—one can see the awnings they put up while they work on that. Expect new landscaping as well.
In the next few weeks, the project moves on to painting, construction of door frames, preparations for new carpeting, and plumbing and electrical fixture installation.
We look forward to our next walkthrough of the facility, and the opportunity to share what we find out. Meanwhile, we invite you once again to take advantage of the Mini Library, where visitors continue to enjoy the cozy setting with a smaller version of all of our usual services and collections—a browsing collection, computers for internet use, printing and copying, newspapers and magazines, children’s and teen areas, and even our Seed Library.
We look forward to seeing our patrons at our Mini Library, at any of our Sonoma County Library branches and especially at the Healdsburg Regional Library at 139 Piper St. when it reopens early this summer.
Jon Haupt is the branch manager of Healdsburg Regional Library, currently located at 1557 Healdsburg Ave. and open daily.
