It may seem counterintuitive, but order of magnitiude cost estimates placed renovation and addition to the existing Library at $1 million MORE expensive than new construction of the same total square footage. The two key factors in that difference are phased construction and moving costs. In phased construction, contractors set up, begin work, complete the addition, clean up and leave the site. The Library moves into the addition. Then contractors return, set up, begin work, complete the renovation, clean up and leave the site. The Library moves into the full space. You pay twice for the set up and clean up by the contractors as well as for two moves. In new construction, the new building is built on the Library property, the Library moves in, the existing building is razed and the parking lot completed.
2. Efficient Use of Site
The existing building is built to the lot lines on 2 1/3 sides of the building, which limits the location of an addition. An addition to the west side of the building cuts off access to Lockport Street from parking and entrance to the building. Site constraints force a long, narrow addition that would be inefficient operationally. An addition to the north side of the building cuts off access to Illinois Street from parking and entrance to the building. Constructing a new building on the north side of the property maintains access to Illinois Street and the downtown businesses, placing the parking convenient to all of those uses.
3. Accessibility
The existing building requires extensive renovation to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The most notable deficiencies in this area are the main and staff entrances. The street level lobby area does not provide sufficient space between the inner doors and the base of the stairs. The staff entrance is accessed via metal stairs on the exterior of the building. New construction can more efficiently incorporate best practices in Library design comply with all aspects of ADA, from maximum heights for book shelves to elevator size and aisle widths.
4. Life Safety
The existing building requires extensive renovation to meet current life safety codes. The location of the boiler next to the main electrical shut offs with no physical separation. This is just one example of building system design that was acceptable in 1990, but not in 2015. New construction builds to current code without the need to retrofit existing systems and spaces to new specifications.
5. Energy Code Compliance
The location and orientation of new construction on the north side of the site, with the main entrance and front wall facing south is key to energy efficiency and takes best advantage of natural light. The windows, lighting and boiler of the existing building do not meet today’s energy efficiency standards. Compliance with those standards will also help to mitigate the operational cost of a larger building. Renovation and addition to an existing building again requires extensive work to meet the new standards.
6. Open, Flexible Floor Plan
One of the top priorities for creating a Library that can serve this community in the long term is creating an open, flexible floor plan that can be reconfigured to meet the changing needs of the community. The pillars, columns and large open stairwell in the center of the main floor of the existing library do not allow for this type of floor plan without significant cost. New construction is designed to be open and flexible to allow for future change.
7. Efficient Floor Plan for Library Operations
The “raised ranch” floor plan of the existing library is operationally inefficient. If a floor plan lines up to the existing floors, a larger amount of the site must be used to achieve the total square footage needed. If the addition and existing floors do not align, the number of levels and space needed for lobbies and stairwells to access each is increased. That leaves less overall space for library services as well as increasing the operational cost for personnel.
8. Parking
The Library parking lot functions as one of the main public parking facilities for the downtown. The size and location of parking on the Library site is critical. Maintaining access to Illinois Street and downtown businesses was factor in the selection of new construction over renovation and addition. The placement of the parking between downtown businesses and the Library makes sense in the context of the current location.
9. Duration and Disruption of Construction
In a phased renovation and addition project, the timeline is extended to allow for the additional move and reset from constructing the addition to renovating the existing building. In this scenario, the Library operates within a construction site for approximately 24 months. It will negatively impact day-to-day operations. In new construction, the duration is less because phasing is not required. The disruption is minimized because the construction is physically separated from the operating Library.
10. Moving Twice/Temporary Configuration
Moving a Library is very costly. There are a large number of items to move. The items are heavy. Think about the last time you had to move a box of books. Now multiply by thousands. The Library is closed to the public during the move. To minimize the time closed, the boxes must be kept in order so the items go back onto the shelves in order. A temporary configuration must be designed to allow access to the collection, public computers, meeting rooms and accommodate staff work space. In new construction, the Library will continue to operate until the new building is complete. Once moved into the new building, the existing building would be razed and the parking lot completed.
Click here to view the presentation from the July Board meeting when the decision was made to pursue new construction.
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