Officials from the Free Library of Philadelphia have begun drawing up renovation plans as they prepare for a return to 40th and Walnut streets.
The 96-year-old West Philadelphia branch of the library was shut down in 1996, after it was found to be structurally unsound. At the time, officials deemed the original $3.8 million cost of repair prohibitive.
But rallies, petition drives and incessant lobbying changed the library's fate, and the renovated facility could open as early as 2003. The plans were first announced last April.
"It feels pretty good, however, we'll believe it when they open the doors," said Beth Ann Johnson, president of Friends of the Walnut West Library, which championed the effort.
Since the closing of the original branch, the library has been based across the street in a facility provided for a token fee by Penn. However, the smaller space cannot hold all of the library's resources.
"With our temporary building, while it's certainly better than nothing and we certainly appreciate having it, our collection isn't there," Johnson said. "For books beyond bestsellers... you always have to have that stuff called over from another library."
An estimated $3 million has been allocated for the design and construction of the project by the city, according to Richard Tustin, director of the city's capital programs office. Although the city is considering financial cutbacks, Tustin said that he is confident that the funding is secure.
He anticipates that construction will begin on July 1 and take at least 14 months.
The building's structural instability was caused by ground water entering the basement. At one point, library officials considered constructing a new facility, either on the same site or elsewhere.
But city officials say that the architect for the renovation, Buell Kratzer Powell Ltd. of Philadelphia, found the situation manageable.
"The new plan is basically going to eliminate the basement," Tustin said.
The level below grade will be filled in and covered with a concrete slab at street level. This will also enable handicap accessibility, in contrast to the several steps patrons had to trudge up in the past.
And by lowering the first floor several feet, it will enable the addition of a second floor.
"It's a very creative solution," said Kathy Dowdell, president of the University City Historical Society. "They had a very hard problem to solve, and they solved it wonderfully."
But what will be most noticeable to patrons and passersby is that the main entrance will revert to its original location along 40th Street. It had been switched to Walnut Street during a previous renovation in 1959, during which time much of the original interior finishes were removed, as well as a small wing along Walnut Street.
But Dowdell believes that enough history is left in the building to warrant its preservation. The Walnut West Branch is a Carnegie Library, built in 1905 with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie.
"There's not a lot of inspiring architecture on that corner," Dowdell said. "And with all the discussion of making 40th Street more of a Main Street, a library is the perfect thing to have there."
Three skylights will also be installed, and the second floor will be cut away over the entrance to enable patrons to look down.
"There will be a very monumental feeling when you walk into the building, which is what the original concept was," Tustin said.
According to Johnson, the first floor will contain community meeting rooms and workstations, while the collection will be housed upstairs. A children's wing will also be built.
Helen Miller, director of public services for the Free Library, said that the collection will cater to the specific needs of its West Philadelphia users, including a foreign language and Braille section. CDs, DVDs and videotapes will also be provided, along with computer workstations with Internet access.
"We expect it to be one of our busiest libraries," Miller said, owing to easy transportation access, the large surrounding residential community and proximity to Penn.
