City of Lakewood announcement.
LAKEWOOD, Washington – Lakewood’s two library branches are in declining physical condition. The City and Library System are forming an advisory committee to inform facility planning. Residents may apply to join the committee by Saturday, April 30.
Both buildings are older, and both need expensive repairs. The committee will review public input, study building needs, and advise the Library System on how to best serve Lakewood. Selected committee members will meet approximately five times between June and September.
The downtown branch is located at 6300 Wildaire Rd SW. Repairs for the 59-year-old building may cost $10 to $15 million. The roof, elevator, HVAC system, plumbing, and windows all require attention.
The Tillicum branch is located at 14916 Washington Ave SW. The 38-year-old building has aging windows, doors, insulation, and a damaged roof. Moisture issues are also present. Roof repair alone would cost at least $2.4 million.
The Library System intends to await the committee’s recommendations before investing in repairs.
“At this point, costs to repair and maintain the buildings far outweigh the value of the properties. We are committed to providing quality library services for Lakewood residents.”
– Pierce County Library Executive Director Georgia Lomax
The Library System is committed to providing quality library services for all Lakewood residents in a safe, accessible manner and space. Thank you for your support of the Library System, especially as it balances safe, quality service with its commitment to manage taxpayers’ investment in the Library System responsibly.
– Pierce County Library Communications Director Mary Getchell
| Additional Information |
| Full Release by Pierce County Library System Application Link |
The Tillicum library and the Community Center in which it is housed, has needed repairs for years. It has been neglected. As an important part of Tillicum’s needs, I hope that the city steps up to the plate, albeit and bit late, and saves both the library and the community center.
To be clear, these are library facilities. The Tillicum branch is leased, so it is not library property. The City and Library are now gathering public input to consider fixes, new facilities, or other plans.
There is no reason for a building dating from 1963 to be in such a bad state of repair that it has to be torn down unless regular maintenance, which is required of all buildings, was neglected throughout the years. Yes, some items, like elevators and heating/cooling systems, have to be replaced periodically; but wise stewardship requires budgeting for such items throughout the years, not waiting until it’s too late to handle the price of accumulated neglect. The structure was designed by architect Russ Garrison, for which he won an award if I remember correctly. So how does a community save money by tearing down an existing beautiful landmark and replacing it with something new at today’s prices? By building a cracker box with cheap materials? What if every building dating from 1963, including residences, had to be torn down because they had not been properly maintained? This situation raises the question of poor stewardship of a public facility. Who will be asked to pay for a new one?
If you read through the exact fixes required, they *generally* align with what you are saying. Roofs need occasional replacement, as do windows and doors and elevators and HVAC.
However, apparently in both branches, leaky roofs let in water and caused damage. There’s more detail about the specific repairs in the library’s release:
https://www.piercecountylibrary.org/files/library/nr-lwd-library.pdf
Comments like yours are what the library is looking for. They are considering funding repairs, and also keeping an open mind as to whether those repair funds might be better spent on new facilities or other investments in Lakewood.