Escondido library renovation on schedule; city to take FF&E, windows to council Dec. 3
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
City project manager says framing and plumbing are complete and the project remains on track for March completion; the City Council will consider furniture, stacks and window purchases on Dec. 3, including an $815,000 window allocation that freed grant money for interior work.
The Escondido Library renovation remains on schedule, city project manager Ed Vasquez told the board on Nov. 13, with framing finished and plumbing slated to be completed this week.
"So far everything is according to plan. We're not delayed," Vasquez said, adding that the city is looking at completing the project in March and anticipating moving between April and May. He reported framing is "100% complete," electrical about "75% complete," and behind‑the‑wall plumbing work will reach inspection and closure shortly.
Why it matters: the city said funds for window replacement — reported at $815,000 — have allowed project staff to apply more grant funds to interior finishes. Robert, the city staff liaison, told trustees the City Council formally accepted a roughly $100,000–$105,000 donation from the Escondido Library Foundation and approved an additional $60,000 for upstairs work. He said three items—furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) for both floors, book stacks and the windows—will be on the City Council consent agenda on Dec. 3 for purchase approval.
Vasquez described the remaining work as primarily finish and aesthetic decisions and said staff will decide whether to close walls room‑by‑room or complete installations in one sequence. He cautioned that exterior concrete work could affect the schedule, but said no unforeseen items currently threaten the projected completion.
Costs and procurement: city staff provided initial estimates for FF&E at about $350,000 for the first and second floors (excluding stacks) and roughly $380,000 for book stacks; staff emphasized those are procurement estimates subject to council approval and vendor availability. Robert also said staff will present these purchases as consent items with capped‑amount language that would allow minor swaps within the budgeted totals.
Next steps: trustees did not take a formal vote on procurement; Robert said staff will place the three items on the Dec. 3 consent agenda to secure council approval and finalize purchases.
At the start of the meeting trustees approved the previous meeting minutes 4–0 (Trustee John Schwab absent).