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Design team outlines concept, sites and $17M–$21M budget range for Indianola Public Library
Summary
Designers presented concept designs for a new Indianola Public Library, favoring a 23,000–25,000 sq ft facility on a site near 6th and Girard and offering three construction options with total project budgets ranging roughly $17 million to $21 million; staff said a two‑year design-and-construction timeline and a possible 2029 property reacquisition factor into the schedule.
Designers from OPN Architects previewed early concept plans for a new Indianola Public Library and the community engagement that informed them, laying out program size, site alternatives and three cost-reduction options.
Danielle Herman, a principal at OPN Architects, told the council the concept study began in December 2024 and that community outreach (including a Friends of the Library open house and surveys) showed strong support for more space, accessible meeting rooms and continued program offerings. "Overwhelming consensus that wonderful staff are just really short on space and need more area to continue to provide the great programs they provide," Herman said.
The team presented a program 'wish list' that initially landed in the 30,000–33,000 square-foot range, then said a "right-sized" concept focused on roughly 23,000–25,000 square feet. Herman said the current library building is "just over 11,250" square feet, and that the new program would substantially increase capacity for collections, meeting rooms, teen and children’s spaces and maker/study rooms.
Isaac Brocker, the project's architect, described a preferred site shift to the southern parcel at 6th and Girard, with parking to the east, entries on the east and west sides, an interior courtyard and event plaza space. Brocker described three construction options: a preferred option using heavier materials and a mass-timber aesthetic (total project budget about $21,000,000, with roughly $17,000,000 in hard construction costs plus about $4,000,000 in furniture and other costs), a steel-structure alternative (roughly $19,000,000 total), and a simplified wood-frame option that reduces glass and height and lowers costs toward roughly $17,000,000 while removing a larger third meeting room from the base program.
Council members asked whether the stated budgets are "all-in"; Brocker said the numbers include design and additional project costs. Staff noted that reacquisition of the existing library parcel is being discussed with the county and that the county's land-swap terms would transfer the property in January 2029, which affects sequencing. On schedule, the design team gave a rough planning window of about eight months of design plus 12–16 months of construction, with bond-timing and community engagement likely extending the calendar if a November referendum is required.
No formal action was taken; staff and the design team were directed to continue community engagement and bring options back for further budget detail and scheduling.
The council moves next to consider public comments and other agenda items; designers will provide follow-up materials and cost breakdowns for further review.
