FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): A report on the Allen County Public Library’s 13 branches shows that all of them need some touch-ups, and two of them need to be replaced entirely.
The News Sentinel reports that consultants told the library’s board of trustees Thursday that an assessment report says the library system would have to spend more than $47-million on all of the repair recommendations, including a complete replacement of the Aboite and Dupont branches, while adding youth spaces, meeting rooms, and building upgrades to others.
The full list of recommendations are as follows:
REPLACE
• Aboite: $8.55 million to replace or $7.5 million to renovate
• Dupont: $9.45 million to replace or $8 million to renovate
RENOVATE AND EXPAND
• Georgetown, $7.5 million
• Grabill, $4.1 million
RENOVATION AND REORGANIZATION
• Hessen Cassel, $2.3 million
• Pontiac, $2 million
• Shawnee, $2.1 million
• Tecumseh, $2.8 million
• Little Turtle, $2.1 million
• Waynedale, $2 million
• New Haven, $1.6 million
• Monroeville, $1.3 million
• Woodburn, $1.1 million
2 comments
It has been less than 20 years since Allen County residents spent $92 MILLION dollars to expand and/or renovate the downtown library and its 13 branches. Now it’s ANOTHER $47 MILLION? I understand ‘touch ups’ of paint and carpet after 20 years, but c’mon! $47 MILLION? And let me just say, I have a huge fan of the library. Huge! I love the library system but this is a little (or a lot) much even for me.
The article said a little more than “touch ups” were going to be involved. Also, prices only go up. Over 20 years that doesn’t seem like that dramatic of an increase.