8 May 9 - 15, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents complete overhaul of downtown’s J. Erik Jonsson Central Library and the expansion or replacement of 11 other branches across the city. The report, conducted by library leaders and a consulting firm from Northern Cali- fornia, found the central library in need of “major renovations” to address deferred and ongoing maintenance needs and design complications such as “malfunctioning” ele- vators, an “anonymous” exterior, “dark and austere” spaces and a “confusing” layout. The library’s eight stories outsize all other Dallas Public Library branches combined, but the abundance of floor space is being underutilized, the report states. “I will not tell you that renovation would be a small job,” Jill Eyres, associate principal of the consulting firm Group 4 Architecture, told the Arts and Culture Committee April 15. Eyres pointed to other cities that have launched major library renovation projects in recent years, including Boston, Austin and Washington, D.C., as proof that reinvestments in downtown libraries spur development and tourist dollars. Recommend improvements to the library determined by meet- ings with stakeholders include a light, airy and colorful interior, a recognizable building facade, a “welcoming” outdoor plaza, group meeting spaces and “inter- active and creative features.” “I actually think our central library has great bones,” Heather Lowe, as- sistant director of the Dallas Public Librar- ies, told the committee. “We have wonderful, natural light, and there’s a lot that can be done with that building. The plan also recommended the expan- sion or replacement of 11 library branches as the best way to support the region’s pro- jected population growth. All library branches need to be at least 25,000 square feet to support the 1.6 million people ex- pected to live in Dallas by 2040, the facility plan says. In an April 24 city council meeting, council member Cara Mendelsohn voiced support for the library system but said she did not feel the facility plan “accurately reflected the needs of District 12,” specifi- cally plans for the Timberglen and Renner Frankford branches in far north Dallas. Mendelsohn said a black box theater, meeting spaces and better technology are all needed at District 12 libraries. “The community has told me over and over and over again what they actually want,” she said. “I just want to make sure that there’s flexibility in there for you to hear what the community wants.” Lowe said “extensive community feed- back sessions” will be undertaken for any branch that receives a renovation or expan- sion rating, and the recommendations from the study are “largely pretty broad.” Two of the libraries recommended for expan- sion or replacement and one found in need of ren- ovation are addressed in the 2024 Bond, which goes before voters May 4. More than $32 million is slotted for the construc- tion of new Park Forest and North Oak Cliff branch libraries, and $9 is earmarked to update the Preston Royal Branch. Additional funds will help bring several branches up to ADA standards. That still leaves nine library branches in need of a rebuild. As for funding, Dallas Pub- lic Library needs to get “creative,” Lowe told the Observer. “Generally our construction and ex- pansion projects have been either bond- funded or a partnership with our nonprofit fundraising organization,” Lowe said. “We are trying to take a really creative and strategic look at how we ex- pand our facilities. We really want to take a hard look at our relationships with other city departments … To see where we can overlap efforts where our goals align.” Unfair Park from p6 Dylan Hollingsworth If plans come to fruition, these internet users at the central library could one day benefit from a host of improvements. “GENERALLY OUR CONSTRUCTION AND EXPANSION PROJECTS HAVE BEEN EITHER BOND-FUNDED OR A PARTNERSHIOP WITH OUR NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING ORGANIZATION.” -HEATHER LOWE To All Interested Persons And Parties: McMahon Contracting and Construction, LLC, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for an Air Quality Standard Permit, Registration No. 91297L014, which would authorize construction of a temporary concrete batch plant located at 5150 North Belt Line Road, Irving, Dal- las County, Texas 75038. This application is being processed in an expedited manner, as allowed by the commission’s rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101, Subchap- ter J. Additional information concerning this application is contained in the public notice section of this newspaper.
