Mayor wants input on main library
Jacksonville Business Journal - by Lisa R. Schoolcraft
Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney wants residents to write the book on what they want in a new main library.
The city will hold a workshop, "Creating the New Main Library: Starting From Scratch," from 1 to 5:15 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
The $2.2 billion Better Jacksonville Plan has projects for various segments of the community, Delaney said.
"But the main library is for all elements of the community," he said. "We need and want public input. We don't want just people with slide rules and tracing paper to do the library. Tell us what you want."
The $95 million library will be built on the block bounded by Duval, Laura, Monroe and Main streets. It will be L-shaped around the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, which is at the corner of Laura and Duval streets.
"There are two historic buildings on this parcel and we hope to incorporate those into the designs of the library," Delaney said.
He said the city will have all the parcels assembled from the block by July 1 and a lot on Duval Street for library parking by Oct. 1.
For those who cannot attend the workshop June 9, the city will have a link on its Better Jacksonville Plan web site -- http://www.betterjax.com -- for comments, he said.
"We want a signature building, not just the exterior, but what is on the inside," Delaney said. "Too often we in government build facilities and never ask what people want in them."
The target date to begin construction is May 2003.
