Wednesday, March 26, 1997
Panel narrows choices to three
By JERRY REED
Senior Staff Writer
The Citizens Library Review Panel voted Tuesday to narrow its
choices to three for a future public library: a brand new building,
One City Center and the lower floors of the NationsBank Tower.
For a moment, the panel considered specifically naming a list
of rejections - renovating and augmenting the present library
at 202 Cedar or renovating either the Southwestern Bell building,
the Lone Star Gas Co. building, or the Abilene Printing building.
But members opted to go instead with a positive motion listing
those options they still consider feasible.
While in negative mode, panel members emphasized their opposition
to any notion of redoing the 1959 vintage building.
"We have considered it, and it's just not feasible,"
said Harold Nixon, a former city councilman. "A giraffe"
expensive to operate, chairman Ed Patton envisioned the final
product of a patch job on the Cedar Street building.
Although no one disputed that, K.O. Long told his colleagues
that "we must be prepared to justify" the reasons behind
their rejections.
The panel will receive a consultant's report within two weeks,
and then allow the owners of the bank tower and city center to
submit proposals for their consideration. Kenneth Musgrave owns
the bank building, and Bill and Scott Senter are managing partners
for the city center ownership.
The review panel plans at town hall meeting April 22 at Abilene
Civic Center on the topic of library construction.
Consultants Dick Waters and Lee Brawner last week recommended
the bank building as the future library site, giving it a slight
edge over city center.
Patton said Tuesday that many questions remain to be answered,
including acquisition prices of the rival buildings, and parking
adequacy of the possible sites.
He said the bank building has a financial advantage as a newer
structure - and thus would cost less to renovate - but city center
is closer to the ideal shape - close to a square - a library needs
for efficient operation.
City Librarian Cynthia Pirtle showed the committee possible
floor plans of an 80,000 square-foot library as adapted to the
bank building and city center.
Musgrave is pitching the city a deal on the first two floors
and the basement of the bank building at 500 Chestnut. One City
Center, located between Pine and Walnut and North 1st and North
2nd, consists of a main ground floor, a basement and an upper
floor of covered parking.
Project costs are estimated at $8.7 million for NationsBank,
$10.6 million for One City Center, without figuring in acquisition
costs. A new building would cost $13.5 million.
n another library item, the Abilene City Council on Thursday
will consider acting on the committee's recommendations concerning
the creation of a branch library somewhere in southwest Abilene
and to lengthen library hours.
Under the latter, the library would add four service hours
Sunday afternoons - probably 1-5 p.m. - and stay open until 9
p.m. Wednesdays, instead of closing at 6 p.m.
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story
to A Friend:
Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
|
