PORT TOWNSEND – Residents will get a look and have a say Saturday when preliminary interior and exterior designs are unveiled for the Port Townsend Carnegie Library.
The idea is to come up with a community vision for the library’s future.
Port Townsend Library Director Theresa Percy and Jim Cary with Seattle-based Cardwell Architects are scheduled to show designs proposed for the popular library’s future expansion.
Verbal and written public comments are encouraged.
The presentation and discussion will start at 1 p.m. Saturday at the library, 1220 Lawrence St.
The library has the highest per-capita use in the state, city officials say, and Saturday’s presentation is part of the initial planning stage that could ultimately lead to an expanded facility within five years.
“The current process is a study to determine how much more library building is required to provide the services that the community would like to see,” said Cary, an architect who has facilitated such planning for 10 libraries in Washington and Montana.
The 8,000-square-foot library, which was remodeled in 1990, was originally built in 1913.
Preliminary plans would expand the building around its perimeter and add a second floor on the side of the structure farthest from Lawrence Street.
Proposed is to expand the library to 14,355 square feet, which would free up enough space downstairs to open the second floor fronting Lawrence Street as a reading room, Cary said.
The task of expanding the uptown icon would not be easy.
“Carnegies are always difficult to add onto because they are such fantastic, complete buildings unto themselves,” said Cary, although he added he was confident it could be done.
“Hopefully, the community will come up with a very nice library facility,” Cary said.
Port Townsend’s library is one of 1,680 that wealthy industrialist Andrew Carnegie funded between 1881 and 1917 throughout the nation.
