Citizens for Sunnyvale Parks & Green Spaces: Nice Libraries for Nice Prices

By Michael Goldman, co-founder with Deborah Marks of Citizens for Sunnyvale Parks and Green Spaces

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Deborah Marks is also leader of Sunnyvale Urban Forests Advocates
http://www.SunnyvaleUrbanForestAdvocates.org/

These 5 libraries cost $58.4M for 142,000 sq.ft. or $412/sq.ft. Many are designed to share facilities with local schools and provide student study help. The one in Cordelia is notable as sharing a building with city administrative offices, located on the second floor.

23. Logan Heights (2009) - San Diego: $8M - 25,000 SF - $320/Sq.Ft.
24. Santa Maria (2008): $26.9M - 60,821 SF - $442/Sq.Ft.
25. Ingleside (2011), San Francisco: $4.1M - 6,100 SF - $670/Sq.Ft.
26. Cordelia (2006), Fairfield: $6.3M - 15,724 SF - $401/Sq.Ft.
27. Temecula (2006): $13.1M - 34,000 SF - $385/Sq.Ft.

Previous post in this series is:
http://cspgs.blogspot.com/2015/09/nice-libraries-for-nice-prices-6.html
Following post here:
http://cspgs.blogspot.com/2015/09/nice-libraries-for-nice-prices-8.html

We see here that you can build very nice, sometimes gorgeous, libraries for under $500/sq.ft. including all the "soft" costs such as project management, architectural design, etc. The question is why were Sunnyvale voters presented in 2007 with a library bond proposal for $1,000/sq.ft.?

23. Logan Heights - San Diego (2009)

$8M/25,000 Sq.Ft. = $320/Sq.Ft.

This serves a largely Hispanic community, is co-located with two schools and has several programs and dedicated resources for students and preschoolers. An unusually large cost of $1.4M out of the $8M for site development in this project raises the cost per sq.ft. by over 17%. Without that exceptional site development cost, it would have worked out to under $300/Sq.Ft.

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The two-story, 25,000-square-foot library is located on the Logan Elementary School site, adjacent to the Memorial Charter Middle School replacing a 3,967 Sq.Ft. library built in 1927.

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The book collection of the branch is expected to grow to approximately 73,000 items. There are 66 public computers, compared to the eight available at the old branch.

A joint use agreement has the following special features:

School textbook collection for after-school and weekend access.
Computer Lab with 35 computers and educational software staffed by a teacher and a library assistant.
Cultural center for student programs, exhibits and displays.
School priority for all meeting rooms, labs and seminar rooms.
A "Techno Teen" program that will allow older students to help younger ones with computer research.
Programs developed by school and library staff around the curricula.

CA State Audit from
http://www.dof.ca.gov/osae/audit_reports/documents/FinalReport-CityofSanDiegoLoganHeightsBranchLibraryAudit.pdf

More info and pix at:
http://www.stonepanels.com/projects/logan-heights-library/#prettyPhoto

Architect's web page for this library here:
http://martinezcutri.com/?projects=logan-heights-library

C.f. for more info about the library
http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/about-the-library/projects/loganhts.shtml

24. Santa Maria (2008)

$26.9M / 60,821 Sq. Ft. = $442/Sq. Ft.

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The library includes an administration area, 123 computers, multipurpose room which seats 300, a new Literacy Center, Adult Education Center, Career Center, study group rooms, community meeting rooms, and a café which overlooks the plaza. The “Friends of the Library” have their own shop inside the building and the Donor Tree is prominently displayed in the lobby.

Particular effort has been placed on community features such as the children’s section which creates a family destination. Dubbed the Enchanted Forest, the children’s library features interesting shapes in the ceiling, a large artificial “tree of knowledge” just inside the entrance, and bumble bee and butterfly motif is incorporated in the mosaic carpeting and furniture.

The space also includes a Young Adult-teen zone, Homework center for more collaboration with local schools, and a Children’s theater that opens into a secured courtyard.

Above audit from:
http://www.dof.ca.gov/osae/audit_reports/documents/FinalReport-CityofSantamariaStateLibraryGrantAudit.pdf

Designer-Builder text and photos here:
http://straubinc.com/portfolio/santa-maria-library/

25. Ingleside - San Francisco (2011)

$4.09M ($5.77M) / 6,100 Sq. Ft. = $670 ($946)/ Sq.Ft.

The value of land is figured into the cost of a new library even if the land is already owned by the library. San Francisco land is some of the most expensive in the country so that raises the accounting cost of the library 30% above the actual monetary cost. Since we are comparing with the cost per square foot asked for in the 2007 Sunnyvale Library Bond issue which only looked at actual expenditures, not lost opportunity costs, we should use the accounting cost minus the land value. The actual monetary cost is given with the accounting cost in parentheses.

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Above excerpted from:
http://www.dof.ca.gov/osae/audit_reports/documents/SanFranciscoInglesideBranchLibraryGrantAuditMay2011.pdf

More info at:
http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/Building_types_study/libraries/2011/Ingleside-Branch-Library.asp

Architect's web page here:
http://www.g4arch.com/projects/default.aspx?viewType=type&cID=1&pID=50

26. Cordelia - Fairfield (2006)

$6.3M / 15,724 Sq. Ft. = $401 / SF

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The state-of-the-art, 15,724 square-foot library occupies the first floor of a two-story multi-purpose building that also features City of Fairfield offices and future tenant space. Featuring a 20-station computer center plus an extensive career planning center, the Library meets the informational and recreational needs of library users of all ages. It overlooks a beautiful pond, is adjacent to community shopping and schools, and is open seven days a week.

Above audit from:
http://www.dof.ca.gov/osae/audit_reports/documents/CityofFairfieldCordelliaLibraryGSProp14June2008.pdf
More info at:
http://solanolibrary.com/cordelia/

The architect was "G4 Architecture" but they show nothing on the Cordelia library.

27. Temecula (2006)

$13.1M / 34,000 Sq. Ft. = $385 / Sq.Ft.

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This 34,000 sq. ft. single-story library with panoramic views, sits on two acres of land in the heart of Temecula, CA, a city of 106,000 in Riverside County. The Temecula Valley, or “Valley of the Filtered Light” as the Indians called it, is known for its granite quarries. In keeping with that spirit, the building has a quarried stone look but with much cheaper and lighter manufactured stone.

There is also an older branch library of 15K sq.ft. This library is located near Temecula's Community Recreation Center and Sports Park, as well as near the local high school. This facility features a 200-seat community room, small-group workrooms, a children's reading area, a heritage room and a Friends of the Library bookstore.

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Nice Clerestory

Note the outside seating

“We originally considered natural stone, but we liked the look we achieved with Eldorado and it saved us a lot of money,” says McAteer, Temecula's building manager. “It blended beautifully with the hillside and gave us exactly the look we wanted,”