Sentinel 9-26-12

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Sentinel Stacking up The Shorewood

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Enterprise Publications • www.shorewoodsentinel.com

public support Public hearing set “Right now is a good time to purfor library land deal chase land, with the costs being somewhat softer than normal,”

By Sherri Dauskurdas Staff Reporter

Jennie Mills, Library Directro

Residents of the Shorewood-Troy Library district will get a chance to voice their opinions at a public hearing Sept. 26, regarding the purchase of land for a new library. Library Director Jennie Mills and members of the Library Board have been pursuing the idea of constructing a new library building, citing concerns over a lack of space sufficient to serve the library’s 19,000 patrons. They have also argued that limitations on both space and electricity in the current building have compromised the library’s ability to meet its patrons’ technology needs. Now, the option has come up to purchase five acres of land on Wynstone

Drive as a potential site for the new library. Negotiations with the current owner of the land, Granite Realty, are ongoing. “Right now is a good time to purchase land, with the costs being somewhat softer than normal,” Mills said. Additionally, the library is in the running to get a Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant that, if received, would cover approximately $200,000 of the costs, Mills added. Negotiations on the Library’s side are being handled by realtor Op2mize, LLC. Earlier this year, library’s building consultants completed research to determine among other things, the amount of space needed and the technology

requirements. Community focus groups were hosted to get input on the services and accommodations patrons would most like to see in place. Nagle Hartray Architects was chosen to draw up preliminary plans for a modern library building, and a draft of it is planned to be made available for public comment later this fall. The Public Hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 26, in the Meeting Room of the Shorewood-Troy Library, 650 Deerwood Drive. Anyone interested in becoming more involved in the new library project can become a member of the Shorewood-Troy Library Citizen’s Advisory Committee. The citizen’s group will lead the charge of support for an April 2013 referendum to fund completion of a new library building, as well as continue ongoing discussions about the areas of greatest need, the plans the architects put forth, and community fundraising options.

Vol. 17 No. 42


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