Northside Community Celebrates Groundbreaking for
New and Expanded Joyce Ellington Library
New branch to be more than double in size
October 28, 2006 -
Residents of the Northside community joined San José officials
today to celebrate the beginning of construction for a new 14,500-square-foot
library.
"Day by day we are building one of the finest urban library
systems in the nation,” said San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales.
“With the support of our residents, we are catching up with
overdue investments to make sure that our neighborhoods have excellent
access to learning and information with branch libraries that
meet the changing needs of our community.”
The expanded library will replace the original 6,912-square-foot
library that had served the area since 1976. The new Joyce Ellington
Branch Library will be built on the original site at 491 Empire
Street with the look and feel of an attractive bookstore. Highlights
will include a community living room with a fireplace, a group
study area and a meeting room that will serve as a neighborhood
gathering spot, accommodating up to 75 persons. There will be
significantly more space for seating, collections and computers,
and for the first time, a dedicated parking lot with 30 spaces.
Audience members from today’s ceremony inscribed “dream
rocks,” which will later be incorporated into the foundation
of the library.
Start of construction on a new and expanded Joyce Ellington Branch
Library represents the third San José library bond construction
project launched this year. It’s one of 20 new or replacement
branches that will be completed by 2010 under the Branch Library
Bond Measure construction program, approved by San José
voters in November 2000. The construction program provides $212
million over ten years to build six new and fourteen expanded
branch libraries throughout San José neighborhoods. Seven
branches have already opened. The Cambrian Branch opens on November
18 and nine more are currently in design or construction stages.
"I can’t wait to have my son check out books at the
new library.” said Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez, council representative
for District 3. “The Northside has a long tradition of remarkable
community leaders like Joyce Ellington who have championed a library
on this site."
The library building design is by Tetra Design Architects &
Planners of Los Angeles, and the project will be built by John
Plane Construction, Inc. of Brisbane. Public art for the project
will be completed by Masayuki Nagase and Lucy Liew. Total project
budget is $9.7 million.
Onset of construction also marks the beginning of fundraising
efforts to furnish and stock the library for opening day, projected
for mid-2008. Those interested in supporting this effort may contact
the San
José Public Library Foundation at (408) 808-2174.
For more information, contact:
• Lorraine Oback, San José Public Library, at (408)
808-2176
Back
to top |
