New downtown library plan unanimously OK'd
The journey to a new downtown library took a big first step Thursday.
The Madison Public Library Board voted 9-0 -- with Allen Arnsten abstaining because potential developer Terrence Wall is a client of his law firm -- to begin the process of selling the downtown library and setting up a request for proposals (RFP) from potential developers of a new library, with the condition that the committee that guides the process contain a majority of library board members.
The action came on the heels of a special library board meeting Tuesday at which Wall detailed his vision to tear down the outdated library in the 200 block of West Mifflin Street and replace it with a nine-story, $45 million building that will house a new and bigger library, several floors of private office space and some retail on the ground floor.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, who would appoint the seven-member committee, has expressed public support for the concept, and mayoral assistant Ray Harmon told the library board that the mayor wouldn't have a problem with the committee condition.
After the meeting, Harmon said the mayor supported a new downtown library "as long as financing is in place."
"He likes the vision but wants to protect the city's interests," Harmon said.
Wall, whose family made its fortune in the library business, called the board's action "a good start to the process."
On Tuesday, Wall told the board that if the process could be completed with T. Wall Properties chosen as developer within four to five weeks -- lightning speed for city government -- he could secure an anchor tenant and start a process that could have the new building done by the end of 2010.
Any delay would likely cost him that anchor tenant and he said he wouldn't begin the project without one.
Of course, that assumes T. Wall Properties would be chosen as developer. The final decision is subject to Common Council approval.
All the stars seem aligned for that since, so far, no other developer has produced a proposal, much less one with the vision of Wall's, which has drawn mostly positive comments from board members and other interested parties.
The central question for the library board -- and a necessity for Wall's proposal -- was the purchase of the library property, a concept the board endorsed with its action Thursday.
The $3 to $5 million Wall would pay for the property would be a key component of the roughly $10 million in library fundraising necessary for the estimated mid-$20 million cost of the library.
Financing has been the stumbling block to the city building a stand alone new downtown library.
"This is our chance to get this off dead center," board member David Wallner said at Thursday's meeting. "I'm real hopeful."
The city would own the new library under a condominium arrangement, which is how it has structured the Sequoya branch library being built in a development on Midvale Boulevard.
The library board spent much of the meeting carefully discussing ways to ensure that it didn't lose its ability to shape a new downtown library, before settling on the RFP process.
"At the end of the day," board president Tripp Widder said, "we have to trust the members of the library board (on the committee) to do the right thing for the library."
Although Wall's payment would provide a big chunk of the $10 million or more the library will need to raise for the project, Widder cautioned that raising the rest won't be easy.
"It's a big number and we haven't been able to raise it to date," he said, adding that it would be "irresponsible" to go forward with the project without that "critical" component.
"I think for us to accept a (developer's) proposal we need to have a big major gift in hand," Widder said.
Wall told the board Tuesday a naming rights donor could raise another $2.5 million to $4.5 million and in-kind donations of labor and equipment could raise another $1 million to $1.5 million.
While Widder cautioned that "no one has stepped up to the plate with a major gift" in the time a new downtown library has been considered, board member Barb Karlen said that Wall's plan "is a much more glamorous, sexy building."
Wall said he "wasn't bothered at all by the open discussion" by the board, which was "very thorough and covered all the bases."
He said he "definitely" saw potential to meet the timeline for keeping his anchor tenant.
"You can see they have a sense of urgency," Wall said.
New downtown library plan unanimously OK'd
The proposed new library's entrance would be on the first floor in a "dramatic oval" at the corner of the building.
