Should Madison simply remodel the existing library building?

At a minimum, the existing building requires mechanical and structural repairs in excess of $8 million. These expenditures would be funded exclusively by City of Madison taxpayers, and these maintenance expenditures will not make any improvement to the interior or exterior appearance, nor improve the functionality, of the library.

We’ve seen several proposals over the past decade that promised significant improvements to the existing building. Fiore-Irgens estimates that a comprehensive budget for renovation of the library would cost at least $30 million, and this estimate is consistent with the findings from two prior renovation studies by the Madison Public Library, which both estimated renovation costs at $28 - $30 million.

But when comparing options it is important to compare both costs and benefits. Even with $30 million of improvement, the renovated library would perpetuate the following deficiencies:

o Lack of natural day lighting. The entire rear elevation of the existing library is without windows and 40% of building area is below grade.

o Low ceiling heights. The two public floors of the existing library are 14 ft high from floor to floor, which yields a finished ceiling around 9’. This ceiling height is inadequate for effective utilization of natural daylight, will consume more energy for lighting and will still present a dark, institutional environment. It will also continue a displeasing sense of proportion in the space. Larger floor areas demand higher ceiling heights.

o Compromised Functionality and Less Public Space. The remodeled library would consist of two and a half floors (75,000 SF) above-grade including a new third floor addition. The remaining area (23,000 SF) is very low quality storage/mechanical space located in the basement level. A substantial portion of the collection will remain inaccessible to the public in this area.

o Limited Meeting Space. The remodeled library allows just 4,200 SF of meeting space, which is only a modest increase from the existing facility.

o Lack of Parking. The lack of connected parking at the existing Central Library diminishes its ability to serve as a community-wide destination.

o Limited Visibility and Exposure. The building itself is out of scale with surrounding uses, and the Mifflin Street location provides poor visibility within the community.

Most significantly, a remodel "compromise" would cement the existing under-utilized condition of this site for one or more generations and foreclose the opportunity for the City to realize the “highest and best use” of the entire block. This would be a tragic lost opportunity for Madison taxpayers. Based on the City Assessor’s estimates, building a new Central Library on West Washington Avenue will unlock future City of Madison tax revenues on Block 66 to the tune of $25 million over the twenty year period that follows construction.