Library search narrowed to three locations
The list of proposed sites for a new main Flathead County library building has been narrowed to three:
n The two-acre former Manion car dealership site on East Center Street, north of where Second Avenue East dead-ends into it.
n Three-quarters of a block north of the railroad tracks that holds Flathead Industries' main facility and administrative offices.
n Expanding the downtown Kalispell branch by buying neighboring buildings, including Central Christian Church. The library has not yet formally approached the church about the idea.
A library building advisory committee settled on those three proposed finalists Tuesday, based mostly on location, with potential land acquisition costs hovering in the background.
"We need to put together the pluses and minuses on all three sites that are pretty detailed," committee co-chairman Roy Beekman said.
The committee hopes to have those pluses and minuses mapped out at its 4 p.m. June 9 meeting to send recommendations to the Library Board.
The committee is keeping another 11 sites on a back burner in case the top three choices fall through.
The committee expects the Library Board to send instructions back to it this summer -probably on tackling plans, costs, more detailed land considerations and so on.
The board ultimately will make a recommendation to the Flathead County commissioners, who have the ability to call for a bond referendum.
The county library system has five branches, with the main library occupying 23,250 square feet of leased space in a 29,250-square-foot, 92-year-old former post office building on First Avenue East in Kalispell.
The Kalispell library has five parking spaces. The library board believes a roughly 52,000- to 55,000-square-foot building is needed with more meeting spaces, more room for books and at least 200 parking spaces.
A preliminary architectural study estimated that it would cost $16 million to $19 million for a new library.
The county commissioners made two library-related requests for federal stimulus money - $18 million to build a new main library and $2.4 million to move and remodel the Columbia Falls branch in the former Glacier Bank building.
The library also approached Montana's congressional delegation with requests for $1 million to buy land for a new main branch and $600,000 for the Columbia Falls branch.
Other sites that were considered for a new main library:
n The land once designated for a proposed Glacier Performing Arts Center (which never materialized) just north of Kalispell Center Mall.
n Thirteen county-owned acres north of the Flathead County Fairgrounds.
n The north end of Woodland Park.
n Flathead Valley Community College.
n The old Dollar Store.
n 3.25 acres of land in Evergreen northwest of the intersection of Reserve Drive and U.S. 2. Maurice and Peggy Eddie offered to donate the land.
n Two city-owned acres on Airport Road.
n The former Eisinger car lot at 1000 W. Idaho St.
n The former Gateway Cinemas.
n Almost four acres on Financial Drive just north of the Gateway complex.
n A site north of the Cenex elevators along the railroad tracks.