Timeline

2013

• Move in –  August 2013
• Open to the public – Sept 16,  2013
• Grand opening celebration! Sept 28 @ 2pm

2012

• March 14: Construction documents are completed
• March 15:  Invitation to bid published
• April 19: Bids are opened at the offices of MRV Architects in Juneau. Five bids are received and ASRC McGraw Constructors is the apparent low bidder.
• April 20: Romiad building demolition is completes
• May 7:  The Petersburg City Council votes unanimously award the construction contract to low bidder ASRC McGraw Constructors
• May 29:  Site work is expected to begin
• June 2:  Ceremonial Groundbreaking!

2011

• April 4: At the regular City Council meeting, the library board presents a progress report on the new library that includes the funding plan, budget, operations and maintenance costs, and projected staffing needs.
• June 6: At the regular City Council meeting, City Council members agreed to put a bond issue for up to $1.5 million on the October ballot.
• June 29: The Rasmuson Foundation awards the City of Petersburg a $500K top-off grant for the new library, contingent on the remaining funding being raised.
• June 30: The State of Alaska awards  $263,000 in additional state grant money for the new library in capital budget.
• July 6: Petersburg’s City Council votes to approve a $218,228 final design contract for the new library.
• August 11: Petersburg’s City Council formally accepts a $500,000 Tier II “Top-Off” Grant from the Rasmuson Foundation for new library construction.
• Sept 1: The library design/building committee meets with MRV Architects to kick of the Construction Documents phase.
• Oct 4:  Petersburg voters approve a $1.5M General Obligation bond for a new library.
• Nov 21: Petersburg City Council unanimously approves the site plan for the new library and authorizes the final design of the project to move forward under the plans as recommended by the Library Board and Building Committee. At the same meeting Council also authorized the City to seek proposals for the removal, salvage or demolition of the Romiad building.
• Nov 21: The library design/building committee meets with MRV Architects to review the 75% Construction Documents and updated cost estimate.
• Nov 29:  The City of Petersburg seeks proposals for the removal, salvage or demolition of the Romiad Building.
• Dec 8: The City of Petersburg seeks proposals for an On-Site Construction Administrator for the new library.

2010

• March  2: At a public meeting design planning for the  new library building is moved into its final stages. Suggestions and comments from the public were taken to refine the plan.
• March: The design development phase is completed and an estimate from  HMS Inc. is received. The total project cost is estimated at $6.78M with an expected bid date of March 2012.
• April 7: At a public meeting the library board votes to shift the placement of the facility on the site in response to concerns from neighbors.
• June 4: $3.3M appropriation is received from the State of Alaska.
• December 1: At a public meeting the library board reconsiders the placement of the facility on the site. Board members voted unanimously to shift the new facility off of the First Street right of way.  Concerns regarding existing utilities, the proximity of the facility to the power plan, minimizing the impact on Birch Street and traffic flow were discussed.

2009

• Eldor and Polly Lee family donate their property on Hammer Slough where Eldor was born to the City for the Public Library, which will be called “Centennial Park”.
• November 5: At a public meeting the schematic design for the new Library is presented for public comment.

2008

• Petersburg’s Masonic Lodge presents the library with a $25,000 donation towards the new library.
• Library staff work with Paul Voelckers,  MRV Architects, to review the major functional areas of the proposed new Library and work on an initial evaluation of the space required for the planned programs and services noted in the Long Range Service Plan.
• Library supports lobby for the passage of SB119, which would establish a State grant program that could fund up to 50% of the construction of the new library.
• The City Council puts the new library on Capital Project list
• Feb 12: At a public meeting, MRV Architects  present 3 conceptual floor plans of the new library for  review. This was an important meeting that helped shape the facility.
• March 12: At a community worksession a final design based on community input from the three conceptual designs previously presented are reviewed and commented on.  The Library Board recommends that  would be a community vote on a temporary sales tax increase lasting 8-10 years to fund the city’s portion of the project. Without this piece we could not move forward. The cost of the facility, with a 2010 construction date, is estimated at $4.9M.
• The Alaska State Library awards the library a grant for a comprehensive business plan to determine operating, maintenance, staffing and additions the costs associated with owning and operating the building.
• The possibility of using an existing building is explored
• April: The McDowell Group surveys 252 Petersburg voters. 75% percent of respondents indicated a moderate to high level of interest in a new library however while 48% said they would approve a sales tax, 46% said they would not.  Even fewer of those polled favored an increase to property tax.
• May:  Library Board decides to postpone an October 2008 local bond initiative for a new library. Due to  economic uncertainty  it was decided that this was not a good year to make a ballot appearance.

2007

• May:  A poll of Petersburg voters showed they were unwilling to pay for a new library/museum facility through taxes. The survey found that 86% of Petersburg voters were in favor of a new library.
• After holding public meetings, conducting a survey of voters, and doing a thorough funding analysis, the Library Board determined that a stand-alone library facility was the most economically viable solution for our community.
• The Rasmuson Foundation nominates the project for the Foraker Group’s Predevelopment program which offers guidance and technical resources for planning new facilities and subsequently funded conceptual design, survey of registered voters; and an operations and maintenance study for the new library project.
• Library supporters begin working with the Foraker Group’s Predevelopment program to come up with a realistic funding plan for a new library that included a grant funds, local fundraising, and a municipal contribution.
• August 21: A public meeting is held to to meet with Chris Kowalczewski from the Foraker Group’s Predevelopment Program. Kowalczewski provides an explanation of what the Predevelopment Program will do for the project including: help the building committee make realistic choices in their approach to the new facility ensure that construction cost, available funding, and ongoing O&M costs are in balance; contract with MRV Architects to model maintenance and operating costs for the building and do conceptual design work;  contract with McDowell Group to do a thorough feasibility study that includes a funding analysis and a community survey.  She stressed the importance of determining realistic operations and maintenance projections early on the project and of creating a realistic funding plan. The Predevelopment program will guide the project through this process in the upcoming months.
• Library Board appoints a seven member building committee representing a variety of organizations in the community to help plan the facility and to work with the Pre-Development Program staff to create conceptual plans that addressed our community’s needs.
• Project supporters form a Capital Campaign Committee to establish a fundraising plan with the help of the Foraker Group.
• The Petersburg Public Library Endowment Fund is established to collect funds for the new library and  as a long term investment in the future of the library.
• November 27:  A public meeting of the building committee is held to discuss potential funding scenarios  with the costs divided between the city, foundations & grants, state & federal government, individuals, and businesses. A $2.5M General Obligation Bond paid for with an increase to sales tax is considered.
• Dec 17: Petersburg City Council unanimously agrees to reserve the Romiad building property for the new library.

1997-2007

• Planning for a new library facility began in 1997. Through the ensuing years the possibility of partnering with other local organizations to share a facility is carefully explored.