Library renovation options range from $25M to $60M; ad hoc committee to recommend an option to council

Trustees received a planning update on Sept. 11 about three conceptual options for renovating or rebuilding the South Pasadena library and adjacent community center, including cost ranges and potential funding paths. Committee members and staff reviewed a lower‑cost renovation option (approximately 27,000 square feet), a mid option combining renovation and new single‑story construction (roughly 27,000–37,000 square feet depending on finishes) and a larger new two‑story option (about 40,000 square feet) that would add community spaces such as a fitness room and maker/creative studios. The ad hoc committee has reviewed the concepts and is expected to recommend one option to the city council at its next meeting. Kylie, the staff presenter on planning, said the concepts were prepared at the city manager’s request to identify an option at a realistic price point and to preserve higher‑cost ideas for later. She cited a list of infrastructure needs the city faces and said the city manager raised the possibility of a property tax measure in November 2026 to fund a broader set of infrastructure projects, including streets and potentially a contribution toward library work. The presentation included a line item the presenter said represented a projected 10‑year streets need (a figure cited during the meeting was $7.58 billion). Trustees and staff discussed programmatic changes each option would provide: the children's amphitheater and Story Time room were called out for protection in designs; additional group study rooms were presented as a common request from patrons; and new restrooms, a kitchen for the community room and expanded outdoor program space were among the concepts. The three options differ in how much of the existing 1930s building would be retained and in the amount of new square footage and site reorientation; one mid option proposes locating the main entrance off El Centro to better tie plaza activity to downtown. Cost estimates included hard construction costs, soft costs, contingencies (10%–15% noted in the presentation) and an escalation assumption of about 4.5% per year to a projected 2028 construction date. Staff said the estimate sets a low‑end and high‑end that reflect contingencies and possible change orders. Trustees asked practical questions raised by construction: where library services would be provided during work, whether temporary facilities are included in the cost estimates, how private fundraising would be coordinated with a city bond and how the city would balance competing infrastructure needs. Kylie said the staff recommendation to city council will include the committee’s preferred option and that council will need to consider how much money is realistically available before committing to design work for a single option. No decision was made at the meeting; staff said the ad hoc committee will submit a recommendation to the city council in November and that planners will ask the council whether to pursue further design work or a community feasibility process for a bond measure. The board will receive periodic updates and a dashboard of plans and costs as the project moves forward.