OIL CITY LIBRARY BUILDING RENOVATION PLAN
The building of the Oil City Library is a magnificent structure and well worth renovating. The library building consists of a 1904 Carnegie Library (16,330 square feet) and a new wing addition (14,605 square feet) in 1979.
In 2009, Struxures Architecture/Construction (Seneca, PA) completed their building evaluation of the library building, which is entitled Oil City Building Investigation & Study (publication date November, 2009, hereafter called the Study). The cost of the Study was funded almost entirely by a grant from the Oil Regional Alliance of Business Industry and Tourism’s Route 8/62 Corridor Preservation Initiative grants. See the links below to view the schematic drawings of the Study.
The Study proposes a $2.5m renovation plan, broken into 5 progressive phases of work, for the library building, with a $51.63 per square foot cost, as opposed to $150-$175 per square foot cost for new construction. The purpose of the renovation is to improve and modernize the utilization of space within the library, upgrade the heating/air conditioning systems and electrical systems, and improve the building envelope. Keys to the building renovation are bringing back into use the second floor auditorium of the Carnegie Library and bringing into use the unfinished basement in the building wing.
The last building renovation to the library building was done in 1979 and another renovation of the building is severely needed. The Library is now cramped and crowded, needs to address in relation to its building structure the major developments to public libraries over the last 30 years, such as the proliferation of formats (audio books, DVDs, music CDs, etc), the growth of library technology, and the creation of more social space that library users desire. All this as well as maintaining the Library’s traditional role as a resource for books, which is also burgeoning.
Progress is being made on the renovation plan with funding obtained for the following renovations, which are Phase I renovations, and will be completed by the end of 2010:
- Roof Replacement to a large portion of the Carnegie Library at $48,500
- Replacement of the exterior stairs and exterior handicapped ramp at $125,450
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