Public Meeting Tonight on New MB Library

The Los Angeles County Public Library system is taking the lead on replacing the existing Manhattan Beach Public Library with a new two-story, 21,500-square foot building that will essentially stand where the existing one-story, 12,188-square-foot building that opened on Nov. 1, 1975 is. The county owns the property the library sits on.

Plans call for the new two-story, 21,500-square foot building to include a homework center with group-study and tutoring rooms, adult reading areas, a teen area, a children's section, 100-seat community meeting room, public access computers and associated site improvements, including walkways, security lighting and landscaping.

Community members are invited to participate in the planning process at a public meeting in City Hall Council Chambers from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Officials from Los Angeles County and the city will present information on project financing, its budget and schedule and library programs and space planning. Project architect Jim Favaro of MDA Johnson Favaro will offer a schematic design.

City Council will officially review library plans at its next regular Council meeting on Tuesday. Nov. 15.

L.A. County has set the total project budget at $22,571,000, an amount that will be funded through two sources: funding set-aside from Manhattan Beach property taxes collected for operations/improvements to the Library in the amount of $11,141,000; and bonding against future tax collections (handled by L.A. County Library) in the amount of $11,430,000, according to a city web page on the project. [For another view on what this financial information means, read New MB Library Moving Forward].

Plans call for the project's design and construction to result in "LEED Gold level certification by incorporating sustainable design features to optimize energy and water use efficiency, enhance the sustainability of the site, improve indoor environmental quality, and maximize the use and reuse of sustainable and local resources," according to another project web page on the city's website. 

Project information, past, current and future, can be found on city web pages dedicated to the project.

Note: All L.A. County public libraries will be closed on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 in observance of Veterans Day.