Traverse City Record-Eagle

Grand Traverse County

December 9, 2009

Plans afoot for new library

TADL/TCAPS partnership is one possibility

BY LINDSAY VANHULLE

TRAVERSE CITY -- A local citizens' group remains interested in bringing a library branch to Long Lake Township, but will have to generate more than $400,000 to do so.

Administrators in Traverse City Area Public Schools included a roughly 2,800-square foot library annex in blueprints for a new Long Lake Elementary building, construction of which will begin next summer.

Traverse Area District Library leaders hope a partnership with the school district will bring direct service to the township while lessening the financial burden of construction.

The library system could best operate a branch if it does not have to pay all capital costs, Director Metta Lansdale said. In this case, the school district would own the library space and the library would cover about $688,000 for design, construction and associated costs.

About $235,000 thus far has been raised.

The Long Lake branch of Friends of the Traverse Area District Library will have to quickly come up with the outstanding balance to proceed, since TCAPS administrators don't expect they will be able to stall a decision much longer without delaying the project.

The Long Lake Friends group has applied for $100,000 from Rotary Charities of Traverse City and will seek additional foundation support.

It has been difficult to raise money in the past, in part because there wasn't a definite location or site plan, chairman Mark VanderKlipp said.

"Until that's established, we don't really have a good case to make," he said. "Hopefully now we've wiped away any doubt."

Preliminary blueprints show the library prominently featured in the front of the school. It would be jointly used by students and the public. Classroom wings could be locked down during non-school hours.

Excluding the library, the building is estimated to be 58,110 square feet and cost $10.3 million.

But administrators allocated $9.5 million in bond funds for the project, meaning they will have to modify its design, said Paul Soma, TCAPS' chief financial officer.

Included now are multiple rooms for preschool and kindergarten students, which reflect the district's desire for expanded early childhood offerings, Soma said. The site will be accessed from North Long Lake Road and feature walking and bike trails.

"You design what you want. You try to stay in your parameters," Soma said. "You don't build something you can't afford."

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