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Timothy Klusczinski, President, Historic Preservation Commission -.Sep. 17 2012_ page 12 3. If the Strand/Avon Theatre building is declared an historic landmark in South Bend by the South Bend Common Council, this designation will have a very negative impact on the future of SJCPL's new Main Library plans and will result in higher building costs and later in higher ongoing operating costs, for the new Main Library. Such action by the Common Council will also have a disastrous effect on what SJCPL has already invested in planning the future expansion for the downtown site. In support of the Library Board's third assertion, we submit the following: The Avon's footprint, based on its legal description, actual field measurements, and a recent site survey conducted by Lang, Feeney & Associates, Inc. of South Bend, is as follows: 45' Wide x 160' Deep (outside dimensions of Avon building) 42' Wide x 156' Deep (inside dimensions of Avon building) The Avon is forty-two feet wide running the length of its inside wall along Michigan St. by one hundred fifty-six feet deep from its inside front wall on Michigan St. to its inside rear wall on the north -south alley. The interior space of the Avon, therefore, has a footprint of approximately 6,552 sq. ft. at its basement level (42' x 156'), 6,552 sq. ft. at its 1St (street) level (42' x 156'), and 3,108 sq. ft. at its 2"d or balcony, projection booth, and office level (42' x 74'). Total internal square footage of the Avon Theatre's present floor space, therefore, comes to 16,200 sq. ft. (6,552 + 6,552 + 3,108 = 16,212). Taking into account the dimensions of the outer walls of the Avon, the building has a total footprint of 7,200 sq. ft. (45' x 160') at each of the three levels planned for the new Main Library. In other words, the total square footage that the former Avon Theatre would occupy or displace if the building is retained in its entirety in its present location and made part of the space within the new Main Library would be: 19,656 sq. ft. (6,552 sq. ft. x the 3 levels of the new Main Library) based on its inside dimensions, and 21,600 sq. ft. (7,200 sq. ft. x the 3 levels of the new Main Library) based on its outside dimensions). The following also describes some of the many problems in repurposing this space for library use: - Basement Level (inside): 42' W x 156' D = 6,552 sq. ft. Most of this basement space would be unusable within the new Main Library. Because of the sloping 1St floor above the basement for the Avon's first floor theatre seating, the present ceiling heights of the basement are inadequate for office space, especially at its western end where the ceiling height is 6'-6", the height of a Michigan basement. At the opposite end, Recipient of the 2009 Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence www._1_ibraryforlife.org