11-26-18 Community Investment - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

•CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK Deborah Futa, Director of the St. Joseph County Public Library with offices located at 304 South Main Street, stated, I would be happy to talk more about the project but would also be happy to answer questions because I know you've heard this before. Committeemember Davis interjected, Thank you for your email you sent. I appreciated that. Ms. Futa replied, You're welcome. Committee Chair Ferlic opened the floor to questions from Committee and Council Members. Councilmember White stated, The last time you presented to Council, there was some discussion about the size of the auditorium and whether or not you could look at that particular prospectus. Are you still looking at that? Ms. Futa replied, We are still looking at about two hundred and fifty(250) which is sizably more than what we have now. Part of the reason is because that auditorium is going to come out on the property far enough that I don't know if we could get a whole lot more out of that space. It would encroach on other space. Committeemember Davis asked, What about the plaza courtyard area? What will be the kind of uses that would be done out there? Ms.Futa replied,We would love to be able to do outside programing.This year for summer reading we had eight hundred(800)people outside in our parking lot for the summer reading kick off. Last year we did a program for the eclipse and we had five hundred (500)people out there waiting and doing all kinds of things with us. My children's staff have long wanted to have space for children's programming outside but we don't feel safe doing it where we are because it is all parking lot. It is really hard to control traffic and I don't think parents feel it is safe. We could also do events, so, there is a large public meeting room that backs up to that courtyard. We would be able to do conferences. We already host the Unity Gardens: Guide to Growing Conference. Every year we do the Genealogy Conference and those conferences could spill out into that courtyard. Committeemember Davis interrupted, So from the auditorium, you could use the auditorium and have a back door to go into the courtyard? Ms. Futa replied, Yes, it will have access from all four (4) sides and we want to make it as accessible as possible. So even if you work downtown, you could come eat your lunch in the downtown as well. Councilmember Jo M.Broden asked, Is there an anticipated completion date if all goes as planned? Ms. Futa replied, They are saying about one (1) year for construction and about eighteen (18) months for the Community Learning Center. So,that puts us out to about 2021 if all goes according to plan. Councilmember Broden followed up, And in terms of readiness to fundraise on this, tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION I INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building 227W Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f574.235.9173 TTD574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov 5