Guest post by David Kosub

11/3/2018: Post updated with correct email address for Lamond-Riggs Library Friends

Ok, so you know the Lamond-Riggs Library is being completely redone, right? Don’t believe me? Well, read this, this, and this first.

Ok, now back to this post. At a community meeting on October 23, we met the design-build team selected for the library reconstruction, heard about their vision for the library, and also, they got to hear our vision too. It was exciting to see how earlier community feedback, such as that gathered from a survey, is being considered at this stage of the design process—at least one year out from the beginning of construction.

Focus groups broke out during the meeting too. Within my group, you could hear words like “engaging,” “inviting,” “atmospheric,” “airy,” “communal,” “dynamic,” and “innovative” being bantered around the discussion about what we want to experience in the new library. We wanted a place where you could sit around with a cozy book. We wanted a place to learn. We wanted our kids to feel at home. We wanted a place to experience culture. And, importantly, we wanted a place to gather and make our voices heard.

But, there is more to come. Close your eyes. Think of the library in your mind. Now, think about what you want it to become. Perhaps, you see a light-filled atrium with a mom reading to her kiddo on her lap. Maybe there is a high schooler using a 3-D printer and creating something you could have never dreamt. A teleworker sits quietly pecking away on their laptop in a big comfy chair.  There is that senior citizen cataloging his family history photos onto digital media. And, well, say hello to the striking plant in the corner providing a much-needed splash of greenery to the mix.

Do you see something else? Well, let’s hear it at upcoming meetings (perhaps in the comments section below too). This is your opportunity to contribute your special touch to the design and build.  Over the next year, public meetings will be held to ensure as much community feedback as possible.  We all want this library to be a striking and bold addition to the neighborhood, while remaining true to its roots.

Want more information on the project? Check out this link going forward for the latest and greatest info. And be sure to also reach out to the Lamond-Riggs Library Friends group to share your thoughts as well.

Please come out tonight at 7:00 pm to Lamond-Riggs Library to meet the design team selected for reconstruction of the library. DC Public Library officials and HGA design firm will be present to discuss the design schedule and hear ideas from residents.

One thing that has come up in discussion is parking. Some have made the point that Lamond-Riggs Library is one of two libraries in Ward 5, and that it serves some neighborhoods that do not have great metro access. I will go ahead and say that expectations should probably be reined in with respect to getting more parking on the site. There are fewer than 20 parking parking spaces at the current library. It is highly unlikely that library officials will look to build underground parking because that is really really expensive. Tariffs are affecting steel prices so there is already concern that the millions of dollars allocated for the design and construction of a new library will not go as far as officials had envisioned. The library is a comfortable walking distance from Fort Totten metro station, and there is a parking garage nearby at Art Place at Fort Totten. Perhaps there can be discussion down the line about having validated parking at the garage. Maybe DC officials can work to get a bus stop directly outside of the library.

Another issue has been how out-of-the-box the design should be. DCPL has earned a reputation for designing unique neighborhood libraries that tend to elicit strong opinions. I am all for it. Take Woodridge Library. To me, it looks like a cross between a spaceship and a chapel, and I love it. The outdoor space facing the park is beautiful. There are design issues with the space inside as sound carries from one floor to the next. One positive thing about being nearly last in line in library renovations is that DCPL has been able to learn from design challenges at other libraries. One big success for DCPL is the Cleveland Park Library, which was recently completed. It is a really beautiful space, and I think it hits a lot of right notes in terms of design and utility. There are small conference rooms as well as huge meeting rooms that can be subdivided to fit audiences of smaller sizes or opened to easily fit 150 people. There are individual work stations with electrical outlets and charging ports as well as larger tables. There is a nice children’s area on the entrance level where children can be as loud as they want to be. I think it is worth taking a trip up there to see how DCPL really got it right with that redesign.

Come out tonight to learn how residents can shape the reconstruction of the Lamond-Riggs Library. Updates on the library reconstruction are available on the project website at https://www.dclibrary.org/newlamondriggs.

**Reminder – Please come out for this meeting**

Lamond-Riggs Library Reconstruction Meeting
October 23, 2018
7:00 pm
Lamond-Riggs Library (5401 South Dakota Avenue NE)

Join your friends and neighbors for a community meeting about the new Lamond-Riggs Library project.
Meet the design team.

• Hear about the process for designing the new library.
• Share your ideas for what you want to see in your new library.

Learn more about the project at dclibrary.org/newlamondriggs

Tonight at 7:00 pm, the Lamond-Riggs Library is offering a free meditation session called “Meditation for Inner Peace During Turbulent Times.” Check it out.

Program description:

From DC Public Library:

The Lamond-Riggs Library, at 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE, is going to be rebuilt. The project is fully funded at $20 million.

The DC Public Library has selected Consigli and HGA as the design/build team for the new Lamond-Riggs Library.

With this team in place, the planning for the new library will begin in October. The design process will take 12 months. Once the design is complete, the current building will be closed and an interim location will provide library service during construction. The new building will open in late 2020.

There will be a community meeting on October 23, 2018, at Lamond-Riggs Library.