Architects Recommend Complete Rebuild of Duluth Public Library

Updated: 01/26/2015 11:28 PM Created: 01/26/2015 11:13 PM WDIO.com

The Duluth City Council heard from the architects on Monday night who put together the remodel and rebuild plans for the Duluth Public Library.

Architects outlined each their four major proposals; the cheapest option on the table only brings the building up to code and fixes costly energy inefficiencies, while the most expensive calls for a complete rebuild.

"It is really struggling to keep itself in that condition," said Stephen Bellairs with MSR Architecture, the group who completed a report on the city's options. "But what is happing behind the skin of the building is not what the city needs in the future."

MSR's report recommends building a completely new facility of roughly the same size at the existing library site. The report estimates the project, known as 'Option C,' will cost $34.7 million.

The report says that the overwhelming majority of public responses favored that option. 63 percent voiced support for Option C, while none of the other three options received more than 16 percent.

To read the full report, click here.

Library manager Carla Powers says a citizen committee will make its plan recommendation to the council in two weeks.

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Architects Recommend Complete Rebuild of Duluth Public Library