Officials are making plans to move the Peachtree City Library to another
location while construction crews build the $4.9 million expansion to
the facility, which includes some renovation work.
The move could cut four months off the construction schedule and save
an estimated $39,000 by eliminating the need for construction to occur
in phases, according to a memo from library technology and training manager
Jill Prouty.
Negotiations to lease space are ongoing but the location of the proposed
site cannot be revealed yet, according to city leisure services director
Randy Gaddo. He also noted that the owner of that facility “is interested
in leasing the space to us at a very reasonable cost.”
The moving plan is contingent on approval from the city council, officials
said. Funds for the entire moving process are included in the original
bond financing package, Gaddo said.
Library staff has received bids from four companies to perform the services
of moving in and out of the library. The lowest bidder, American Interfile
and Library Services Inc. of Bay Shore, N.Y., will do the work for $56,838,
which is over $13,000 less than the next lowest bidder.
A check of the company’s references met with positive results,
Prouty said, with comments that the moving staff were knowledgeable with
the Dewey Decimal System used to file books and “being creative
to solve problems as they arose during the process.”
Last year, Peachtree City voters approved a referendum to expand the
library from its current size of 20,000 sq. ft. to 31,000 sq. ft. The
main attraction will be a 5,000 sq. ft. children’s area with space
for story time, baby time, puppet shows, summer reading programs and
other children’s activities.
The addition will add room for more books, computers, audiovisual materials
and reading areas also.
Among the fixes on the project list include a repair of the roof, upgrading
the lighting and heating and air conditioning systems and improving electrical
capacity.
The expansion was designed to meet the community’s library needs
for the next 20 years, officials said.
