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Letter: We should move the Lakewood Library

July 15, 2009 By Ben Sclair

A few weeks ago I heard a talk about the Pierce County Library and it’s planning for the future. One of the comments that grabbed my attention was about the Lakewood Library.

I’ve visited this facility many times over the years. I’ve seen it grow and change and offer the latest of formats for a public library. The computers are always in demand now and meeting rooms are busy and space for people to sit down and do some research often is at a premium.

The speaker explained that in the future it will become necessary to enlarge the facility more and that will be difficult because of the size of the property. If the building is expanded the parking lot must go. Razing the building and starting all over again with underground parking is an option for the future, the plan indicated. However, that’s not an inexpensive option.

Well, as I drove through Lakewood Towne center the other day, I passed by the now-empty buildings that formerly housed a sporting goods store and a clothing store.

The two-story former clothing store building is located next to the movie theater and Barnes & Noble Books. I propose the Pierce County Library lease or purchase the building and convert it into the new library. I don’t know the building’s square footage, but I think it would be considerably more than the current building. There would be no need to find more property for parking because there is plenty available in the shopping center. The building is an open design so remodeling it for a library should be fairly simple and probably relatively inexpensive.

And, the old property could be sold to someone with funds used to reduce the debt of buying acquiring the new facility.

Moving the library into this facility would provide several positives: it would give the library adequate space for a long, long time at what I think would probably be a reasonable cost. And, it would bring additional people into what has become Lakewood’s core business and economic center.

Dave Sclair
Steilacoom, WA

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Comments

  1. Joe Boyle says

    July 16, 2009 at 7:06 am

    Dave,

    Interesting idea. Perhaps the building owner would allow a sweetheart deal since we are talking about a library. $0 to ???? cost to purchase. A library in the city center can bring in more traffic for the other businesses in the mall.

    Owning would give the library more long term control. A lease might end up with our library living under a bridge.

    As you might guess, there will be a lot of resistence to leaving the existing location. It is unique in quality, character and history.

    Joe Boyle
    253-582-0066

  2. Kathy Brock says

    July 16, 2009 at 7:40 am

    Fabulous idea for Lakewood Library expansion!

  3. Lynn Geyer says

    July 16, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    It might be a good idea to move the Lakewood Library to the city center, however, I doubt very seriously if the owners of the retail area would even want to consider “giving” the library space. When the center first opened, it lost many stores because the rent was then $11 a square foot; imagine how much it has increased over the years.

    I believe there is a way to dig an underground parking “basement” under the existing building without demolishing it. If possible, this would probably be the better idea; the library could then expand its space into the now parking lot. If not, there is always an option of a third floor.

  4. Jason Whalen says

    July 16, 2009 at 12:13 pm

    I think this is a great idea that should be vigorously pursued. Moving the library into a new, enlarged, state of the art facility would be a wonderful draw to the Towne Center and creates energy for a potential “re-work” of the site. Wouldn’t it be great to have “green space” (aka “park”) adjacent to the new library and City Hall? Concerts and art in the park, along with new and accessible dining venues (Red Robin, etc.), would only enhance what we now enjoy. This could be a catalyst for a great “towne center.”

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