So much has happened since our last construction update. The parking garage is quickly being pieced together. The demolition portion of the library building project is very much underway. Photos can tell the story much better than words sometimes, so please find below a series of photos documenting the past few months at the construction site. Read More..
Wondering what’s going to happen to all of the trees around the library once construction starts? Through an innovative partnership with two KU professors, logs from the trees will be salvaged and sawn into lumber. The wood will then be distributed to area artists and craftsmen, selected via a juried application process. These artists and craftsmen will create art objects and furniture from the wood, which will be exhibited and then auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the Friends of the Library. More details to come soon.
Even though you don’t see any shovels in the ground or construction dumpsters set up yet, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes in preparation for the upcoming renovation and expansion. Architects are busy in the “Design Development” phase, the period in which they move from conceptual drawings to detailed plans. Meanwhile, in conjunction with the City, we are planning for our upcoming move into our temporary space – the former Borders building at 700 New Hampshire Street. Read More..
On Thursday, August 30 at 7:00 pm, the library hosted an information session for artists about the City’s Percent for Art commission for the new library. Participants learned about the selection process, viewed examples of other public art installations, saw architect renderings of the new library, and heard Lawrence Public Library’s vision for this project. Click here to view a video of the presentation.
This information session was intended for artists who wanted to learn more about the project and were interested in responding to the Request For Qualifications (RFQ) to win the commission. Artists who were not able to attend the session are also welcome to submit RFQs — please see below for additional details.
The Lawrence Public Library Board of Trustees has approved a recommendation from Library Director Brad Allen to temporarily relocate the library to 700 New Hampshire St, the former Borders building, during the expansion and renovation of the current library. The recommended plan stays within the $19 million project budget and allows for a shortened construction schedule, better customer service, and parking for library patrons. This recommendation will now be forwarded to the City Commission for consideration. Read More..
So much is happening behind the scenes with the library expansion and renovation project. Architects at Gould Evans have completed the schematic building designs and are hard at work making detailed drawings of the new library. Meanwhile, B.A. Green, the project’s construction manager, is working to determine whether the library will operate out of its current building or move to a temporary location. Once that decision is made, a more detailed construction schedule can be determined. The goal is for construction to be under way by the end of the year.
The library is committed to providing services to the community throughout the renovation and expansion process. We will work hard to keep you in the loop. Please check back here for updates.