New Central Library Project: The New Central Library Project is presently progressing in accordance with the schedule presented to Council earlier this year. The Design Team Selection Committee, composed of City staff members, has completed its scoring of all responsive and compliant Statements of Qualifications received from architectural/engineering teams interested in being considered for the project’s consultant contract. The six ( 6 ) top scoring teams, as determined by the evaluation matrix employed for this purpose, will be invited to make presentations and be interviewed by the Design Team Selection Committee prior to the end of the present month of September. Based upon these presentations and interviews, the Design Team Selection Committee will designate up to three ( 3 ) design teams to make presentations to Council on October 23, 2008. Following the presentations to Council, the teams’ presentation materials will be made available at City Hall and the Faulk Central Library for public inspection and comment. Two ( 2 ) weeks after the presentations, Council will take action to select a design team for the award of contract during a regularly scheduled Agenda meeting on November 6, 2008. The remainder of the project’s proposed schedule is as follows:

December 2008 ~ Construction Manager at Risk Solicitation issued
March 2009 ~ Design Team consultant contract executed
April 2009 ~ Citizen/stakeholder input process conducted
May 2009 ~ Council award of Construction Manager at Risk contract
March 2011 ~ Design completed
December 2011 ~ Start of Construction
December 2013 ~ Construction completed
May 2014 ~ Grand Opening

North Village Branch Library Replacement Project: On August 21, 2008, Council authorized the award and execution of a contract through the Texas Local Government Purchasing Cooperative (Buyboard) with Worthington Contract Furniture, LP, for furniture, fixtures and equipment for the North Village Branch Library in an amount not to exceed $76,571.49. However, construction progress on the new North Village Branch Library has been hampered by a number of problems encountered in the last two months. Working out a solution for the flashing and framing of windows in the thick and irregularly surfaced Durisol block walls has taken longer than originally anticipated. Difficulties also emerged with the installation of the subgrade prepared in the mechanical yards to support the pervious paving system; it now appears that the design will need to be modified to allow for conventional concrete to be substituted in these areas. Delays have likewise occurred with getting a subcontractor to apply the the ice and water shield correctly prior to the exterior metal wall panels being installed. Due to the multiple construction problems presently being encountered at the site, it is no longer believed that the original date of January 24, 2009 planned for opening the North Village Branch Library can be met. A tentative date of April 25, 2009 has now been targeted as the new date for opening the facility. The North Village Branch lease space library is now planned to close on December 1, 2008, which will allow sufficient time for the collection to be boxed, moved and processed to interface with the new RFID security system to be installed at its permanent home.

Twin Oaks Branch Library Replacement Project: Unfortunately, construction at the site of the new Twin Oaks Branch Library has also slowed considerably over the last two months as the general contractor was forced to terminate his steel erector sub-contractor for reasons of poor performance. Solicitation for a new steel erector has been completed, and the general contractor is now awaiting approval from the City to use the low, responsive bidder for these services. In other developments, the general contractor will submit an engineer’s stamped, detailed drawings for proposed reinforcement of the concrete retaining wall at the North end of the parking lot, and grades are being shot at the request of the civil engineer at specific points along the the new South driveway’s approach, curb, gutter and street. The civil engineer will then review the grade points and determine grade slope percentages in order that the concrete/asphalt difference at the new approach can be reconciled. At this time, it is hoped that the lack of construction progress over the last two months can be made up over the remainder of the contract period, thereby enabling the Library Department to open this new facility on August 8, 2009 as planned.

Faulk Central Library Automated Doors Retrofit Project: On August 4, 2008, the Faulk Central Library Automated Doors Retrofit Project was first advertised for bids, and on August 18, 2008, beginning at 10:30 AM, a mandatory vendor conference was conducted at the Faulk Central Library. On August 28, 2008, two ( 2 ) bids were received from interested contractors and those bids are presently undergoing technical review by the City of Austin. The project management team is confident that the remainder of the project schedule can be maintained:

Thursday, October 9, 2008 ~ Council Award of Contract
Monday, November 24, 2008 ~ Notice to Contractor to Order Materials
Monday, February 16, 2009 ~ Start Demolition/New Work at Faulk Central Library. Faulk Central Library will be closed to the public, alternative plans are underway to provide library service from the Austin History Center, adjacent to the library.
Monday, March 30, 2009 ~ Substantial Completion Inspection

Recycled Reads Book Store Project: Difficulties have been encountered with getting the Recycled Reads Book Store Project successfully through the development review and permitting process. Much of the trouble has revolved around the need to revise the construction plans to satisfy the building inspector’s directions for placement of delivery doors and ADA compliant emergency exits for the facility. Also, further time-consuming value engineering of the project has proved necessary in order to bring the cost of construction within the Library Department’s budgetary reach. While most of the project problems confronting both the design team and the construction manager appear to be resolved at this point, it is not believed that the book store can be made completely ready to open before January 10, 2009, and that date has now been proposed as the target date for the grand opening of the facility.

Links

• Austin Public Library Facilities Master Plan (PDF, Adobe Acrobat required)
• Street and Facility Naming Policy (City of Austin) (PDF, Adobe Acrobat required)
  • Application for Naming Facilities for the Austin Public Library
    (PDF, Adobe Acrobat required)