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The San Benito County facilities committee has been discussing the library’s expansion and its costs, and is currently considering five scenarios that range in price from $16 million to $35 million.
At a meeting in late June, committee members Bea Gonzales and Mindy Sotelo said they have been leaning toward a scenario that would include a renovation and addition to the current library location. This scenario would expand the current library space from 11,000 to 18,000 square-feet and would also include a new courtyard. The estimated cost for this remodel is $16 million. Gonzales and Sotelo said their decision is influenced by the cost of the project and what the state will allow.
Other scenarios under consideration include renovations, expansions and a possible addition, which variously would expand the library to 25,000 square feet, or even triple its current size, to 34,000 square feet. Facility committee members say these scenarios are unlikely as they would cost from $24 million to $35 million.
The county has been working up a plan for several months to utilize an existing $10 million grant provided by the state, as well as $5 million in matching funds provided by the county, totaling a fifteen million dollar budget.
A fifth scenario—referred to as the first floor only concept—is being proposed by supervisors and library staff to relocate the library next door to the old courthouse building. This scenario would use only the first floor of the building, add a courtyard, and would also allow the library to remain open during the time of remodel and expansion. The public works facilitator on the project is waiting for architects to get back to him with an estimated layout and costs for this scenario.
The focus of the remodel and expansion at the moment is the first floor only. There are plans to eventually remodel the second floor, and to use that space as more room for the library, or even as a place for library and county staff offices.
The remodel of the second floor comes with much larger costs that are mandatory, such as putting in an elevator to comply with ADA. The estimated cost of that alone is half a million dollars, something committee members said is just not in the budget at the time. If there are leftover funds from the first half of the project, then plans for the second floor will be discussed.
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