The Gaithersburg Library, located at 18330 Montgomery Village Avenue, is included in the County Executive’s and the County Council’s approved FY09-14 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). The project calls for a major renovation and redesign of the existing 33,730 square foot building that was opened in 1981. The work to be accomplished during the renovation includes replacement of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems), lighting, electrical, plumbing, communication and security systems, as well as new fire alarms and windows. The building interior will be “gutted” to make way for furniture and service layout changes and new programmatic elements. Some of the proposed changes include expanded spaces for children and for teens, a separate children’s program room, and lower shelving heights that allow better lighting disbursement and elimination of dark zones.
The County Council requested that the Executive staff review the Program of Requirements (POR) for this branch to take into consideration community demographics, the space and programmatic needs for the library, and any limitations associated with the current site. As a result of that request, the following occurred:
In June 2007:
- A community meeting was held at the Gaithersburg Library to gather suggestions from residents about the services to be delivered in the renovated facility.
- The community feedback was recorded and analyzed for incorporation into design options.
In October 2007:
- The Department of Public Libraries (DPL) and the Department of Public Works (DPWT) staff met with the architects for the project, Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP and Ann Beha Architects, to evaluate the impact of the community feedback (received in June) in the revised POR.
In November 2007:
- The Director of DPL met with representatives from the Department of Recreation and the Up-County Regional Services Center (as well as other senior staff in County government) to discuss the possibility of Libraries and the Gilchrist Center partnering to deliver services and programs to residents from the renovated Gaithersburg Library. A decision was made to incorporate space needs for a satellite office of the Gilchrist Center in the proposed four options the architect was developing.
In December 2007:
- The architect presented four options, which were approved by DPL and DPWT, and then forwarded to the Chief Administrative Officer for consideration and a decision on the options to present to the County Executive.
In February 2008:
- The Director of DPL, Parker Hamilton and the Director of Recreation, Gabe Albornoz, asked the County Executive to review the options and make a decision that would allow funding recommendations to be developed and sent to the County Council.
In March, 2008:
- The County Executive recommends the option adding 13,100 square feet to the main level and 7,500 square feet to a second level. The total additional space of 18,600 square feet includes rooms for the Gilchrist Center and meeting rooms on the new second floor of the building.
Spring, 2008:
- During the CIP budget vote, the County Council approves funding of approximately 25 million dollars for planning, design, and construction for the project.
On June 17, 2008, the Library Department held three public meetings at the Gaithersburg Library to show the proposed design and layout for the renovated building (first and second floor), and to receive comments from interested residents.
View the architect’s presentation for the public meeting, to see a proposed layout of the building interior, and to review possible massing options for the exterior of the building. Pages 3-6 of this presentation are suggestions for how to provide sustainable features to the building. These are not pictures from the current library nor are they necessarily ideas that will be incorporated into the renovation redesign.
Review the comments made by teens, by members of the Library Advisory Committee, and by members of the public at the June 17th meetings.
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