So if you're looking at spending 1/2 a million dollars to repair and reopen the library, which is judged to be too small, Why not look to the old Rite Aid building. If that could be renovated and the cost is also 1/2 a million but it is a bigger space, then why not just move the Library over there.
1) The Old Rite Aid building is not for sale, it is under contract with an incoming tenant; 2) If is was for sale, the asking price is $10 million, although it would probably be cheaper if they lost their tenant. 3) Assuming it was for sale and the City could come up with the millions of dollars to buy it, it needs extensive remodeling to make it library-like. 4) Even if all that happened, the building is still thousands of square feet short of what the West County service population actually needs. --- So, yes, interesting location, but it just isn't a viable option for our current situation.
It would be much more comforting know there was a third party testing after the remediation that has nothing to do with ServePro. I hope they are not allowing the same company to test and remediate. https://yesweinspect.com/
There is SO much to remediation in a building like that, with an unknown cause…and always getting a third party to assess remediation is essential for integrity of removal and safety. Ugh, this is such a bummer.
While the building may be smaller than the libraries in Rohnert Park or Healdsburg, it's still plenty big enough for Sebastopol in my opinion. I strongly agree that it has been a pain to go to other libraries not only to pick up books but also to return them; it would be nice to at least be able to drop off books and pick up holds in Sebastopol.
Thank you for the thorough coverage of the issues with the library. I am very much looking forward to getting some kind of ETA for when it might be open again. Libraries are one of the few true community spaces remaining in this Trumpian hellscape, and I am glad to see people fighting to protect ours.
In Portland Oregon there is a combination public library and condominium project called Sellwood Library Lofts. Perhaps a condo developer could work with Sebastopol to help build a similar project on the Rite Aid property.
(The New York Times recently reported that several cities are building affordable housing above libraries on land that the city already owns. Unfortunately Sebastopol would have to buy this expensive piece of land of downtown real estate.)
The building is too small but building or refurbishing an existing building would keep the library closed for years. This will probably close it for months. I need to check out the branch in Roseland.
So if you're looking at spending 1/2 a million dollars to repair and reopen the library, which is judged to be too small, Why not look to the old Rite Aid building. If that could be renovated and the cost is also 1/2 a million but it is a bigger space, then why not just move the Library over there.
1) The Old Rite Aid building is not for sale, it is under contract with an incoming tenant; 2) If is was for sale, the asking price is $10 million, although it would probably be cheaper if they lost their tenant. 3) Assuming it was for sale and the City could come up with the millions of dollars to buy it, it needs extensive remodeling to make it library-like. 4) Even if all that happened, the building is still thousands of square feet short of what the West County service population actually needs. --- So, yes, interesting location, but it just isn't a viable option for our current situation.
Kent who is Rite Aid building under contract with? Who is the new incoming tenant?
Grocery Outlet has the lease, contingent on getting approval from the city.
That's actually a great idea!!
It would be much more comforting know there was a third party testing after the remediation that has nothing to do with ServePro. I hope they are not allowing the same company to test and remediate. https://yesweinspect.com/
There is SO much to remediation in a building like that, with an unknown cause…and always getting a third party to assess remediation is essential for integrity of removal and safety. Ugh, this is such a bummer.
While the building may be smaller than the libraries in Rohnert Park or Healdsburg, it's still plenty big enough for Sebastopol in my opinion. I strongly agree that it has been a pain to go to other libraries not only to pick up books but also to return them; it would be nice to at least be able to drop off books and pick up holds in Sebastopol.
Thank you for the thorough coverage of the issues with the library. I am very much looking forward to getting some kind of ETA for when it might be open again. Libraries are one of the few true community spaces remaining in this Trumpian hellscape, and I am glad to see people fighting to protect ours.
In Portland Oregon there is a combination public library and condominium project called Sellwood Library Lofts. Perhaps a condo developer could work with Sebastopol to help build a similar project on the Rite Aid property.
(The New York Times recently reported that several cities are building affordable housing above libraries on land that the city already owns. Unfortunately Sebastopol would have to buy this expensive piece of land of downtown real estate.)
The building is too small but building or refurbishing an existing building would keep the library closed for years. This will probably close it for months. I need to check out the branch in Roseland.