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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 01 17 2019 LABMinutes 01 17 2019 LAB Page 1 Library Advisory Board January 17, 2019 Assembly: The Library Advisory Board met in Regular Session on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. at Main Library in Wilmington, NC. Board Members Brewington, Jan EXCUSED Chadurjian, Denise PRESENT Conlon, Dennis PRESENT Damutz, Amy PRESENT Montwieler, Katherine PRESENT Shore, Sam PRESENT Smith, Harriet PRESENT Smith, Ida PRESENT Smith, Paul PRESENT Walker, Bradford PRESENT Zimmer, Ronna EXCUSED Staff Members & Board Reps. Tom Brimberry (FOL Rep), Harry Tuchmayer (Director), Paige Owens (Asst. Director) Jennifer Rigby (NHC Office of Strategy) Chair Sam Shore convened the meeting at 2:01p.m. Welcome Chair Sam Shore announced that Rebecca Taylor has stepped down for personal reasons. The Library Director explained that the vacancy will be posted and urged members to let others know. Agenda Review Harriet Smith moved that Project Grace be placed at the top of the agenda and that the agenda be approved. Motion: Harriet Smith MOVED, SECONDED by Amy Damutz, to recommend approval of the Agenda with Project Grace moved up. Upon vote, the MOTION WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Approval of previous minutes The minutes from the last board meeting on Nov. 15, 2018 were sent to the board prior to the meeting for review. Motion: Paul Smith MOVED, SECONDED by Amy Damutz, to recommend approval of the LAB 11/15/18 minutes as written. Upon vote, the MOTION WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Correspondence None at this time. Minutes 01 17 2019 LAB Page 2 Project Grace update by Jennifer Rigby, NHC Office of Strategy Overview of the project: New Hanover County is exploring the redevelopment of this downtown block. The project would include a new library and museum, maintain the parking deck, and repurpose the remaining space for mixed use private sector development. This has been a 2-year process with input from the community and staff as well as library and museum boards. The project priorities include improved library and museum space; green space; parking; a pedestrian friendly environment. Private development should eventually pay for the project through taxes. Proposal process: New Hanover County advertised on a national scale with a request for qualifications. Two responses to the RFQ were received. Both teams were highly qualified. An evaluation team composed of a cross-section of county staff and community partners reviewed the qualifications and invited both teams to submit full proposals. Deadline was December 14, 2018  Zimmer Development, a local company, submitted a full proposal  Monteith Construction is the project’s construction manager  Vines architecture is the architect team for library and museum  Little Architecture would design the private parts of the project The evaluation team had a couple questions and suggestions regarding some of the design features While the proposal is being revised, the full proposal is not available for public distribution. Overview of the proposal:  Phase 1 library and museum o 42,000 square feet for each facility o Built on Grace Street side of the block o In the back corner of 2nd and Grace 125 residential units are proposed o Proposal enables library to only move one time  Phase 2 demolition on 3rd Street (existing library) o 125 residential units built on former library’s footprint o Greenspace would be addressed with rooftop terraces on top of library and museum in joint space above the 2nd floor o Rooftop terrace space proposed for 3rd street side  Phase 3 Story Park o Space currently devoted to Story Park would be built with offices or boutique hotel Proposal considerations:  Is the team qualified? yes  Does project meet address the evaluation team’s goals and values?  The team had a few questions about design features. Adjustments are being made.  How much will it cost? How much will revenue will the project generate? What are the long- term implications? o This aspect is extremely complex o One consideration is the approximately $2 million in deferred maintenance for current library building and the high cost of updating the current museum structure o Additionally, there is a second component to the project with additional costs: converting current museum space into a collections facility o The evaluation team is working with a consultant to examine possible financing models Minutes 01 17 2019 LAB Page 3 o Zimmer proposed the county lease back the public spaces; they are also open to NHC buying back the public spaces o There are difference scenarios to accomplish this, each with different implications Sharing the proposal:  February 6th 4:30-6:30pm at the Library Hanover Room - staff will present the proposal to the Museum and Library Advisory Boards. The Zimmer team will be in attendance to answer any questions on the proposal and staff will collect feedback.  February 7th Staff will release the key elements of the proposal (illustrations, financials, and timeline) and the community meeting dates and times to the public via website, and press release. An online tool will be available to capture community feedback.  February 19th 5:30-7:30pm at the Cape Fear Museum Williston Auditorium - staff and Zimmer will host a community meeting and collect community feedback.  February 21st 5:30-7:30pm at the Library Hanover Room - staff and Zimmer will host a community meeting and collect community feedback. The next step would be to ask commissioners for permission to negotiate a development agreement. Library Advisory Board Q & A with Jennifer Rigby: Amy Damutz: Should we submit questions ahead of the joint meeting? Would that be helpful? Jennifer: Yes Sam Shore said he will send out an email to collect questions Denise Chadjurian: Was the cost in the ballpark that the county would consider? Jennifer: we are not seeing anything that is surprising to us at this point Katherine Montweiler: Will Pine Valley be open before the community forums? That would be helpful for the public to see what we should have done differently. Jennifer: No, but there will be opportunity for community input at a later point in the design process if the deal were finalized Denise Chadjurian: The public is going to ask: what is the benefit to the user? Jennifer: There’s investment the county is going to have to make in both facilities if we don’t move forward. It’s a significant amount with deferred maintenance and triggers the question: is it better to design new facilities? Sam Shore: There are apartments and a hotel. Will there be a commercial component? Jennifer: We shared with the developer at pre-submittal that this whole conversation started with thoughts of a café for the library. So, yes. Phase 2 will have 125 residential with retail underneath, and that could include a cafe Sam Shore: Is there an opportunity to reuse some of the capital investment in Story Park? Jennifer: A lot of those pieces are flexible and can be reused. Denise Chadjurian: What type of collections will be housed at the museum? Jennifer: The existing museum space would be repurposed to store collections not on display and museum fabrication processes Chair Sam Shore had to leave at 3:00. Denise Chadurjian took the lead for the rest of the meeting. Minutes 01 17 2019 LAB Page 4 Friends of the Library Report Tom Brimberry presented the following report:  Barbara Honchell is the new chair of the Friends.  A bus trip is to Hunt Library and Chapel Hill Public Library is scheduled Monday February 4th. Advisory board members are welcome to sign-up. Members were asked to let the library director or assistant director know if they are interested.  Additional funds have been allocated for library staff projects through LEAD awards  Current membership: 600  Website presence has been improved Foundation Board Report No Foundation board members were present. Foundation meets again in February. Committee Reports Intellectual Freedom Committee report Dennis Conlon presented the committee’s recommendation regarding citizen request for reconsideration of Fox All Week by Edward Marshall. Dennis read a letter summarizing the committee’s recommendation that the book remain in the library. Motion: Amy Damutz MOVED, SECONDED by Katherine Montwieler, that the Intellectual Freedom committee’s response be accepted. Upon vote, the MOTION WAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Director’s Report Report was submitted to board prior to meeting. No additional updates. New Business Committee assignments Harry Tuchmayer stated that Sam has finalized the committee assignments and will send them out to members. Branch locations for upcoming meetings The board considered the suggested schedule. Due to logistical problems for some members attending a meeting at Pleasure Island, and because of the delay of Pine Valley’s opening until May, a decision was postponed. February’s meeting will take place at Main Library. Old Business Pine Valley Update  Harry stated that a “drywall party” on the site was attended by Myrtle Grove/Pine Valley library staff the previous day. Staff appear to be getting more comfortable with the space.  Hurricane Florence continues to impact the construction and outfitting schedule  Due to delays, public opening is now expected in May  The Foundation will be sponsoring a reception for board members and donors when the library is completed Minutes 01 17 2019 LAB Page 5 Wrap Up Comments Paul Smith shared article from 1/17/19 StarNews about Team First Book. Adjournment Dennis Conlon moved that the meeting be adjourned. Harriet seconded the motion. The motion was approved and the meeting adjourned at 3:27 p.m. Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim record of the Library Advisory Board meeting.