REGIONAL LIBRARY PLANS (Fuhrer Branch replacement)
FUHRER BRANCH HISTORY
In 1982 the Rapides Parish Library opened the 3024 square foot Fuhrer Branch on the corner of Canterbury and Parliament in southwestern Alexandria. Over the years the branch has become the system’s busiest facility after Main Library. A temporary building was placed on the site to house all of the branch’s fiction books, thus temporarily taking the pressure off of the main building. Affectionately called “the outhouse” by some customers, it was always seen as a stop-gap measure until a larger facility could be built. At first the Library administration explored the possibility of adding on to the existing structure, but realized that the small size of the lot prevented a large enough addition to justify the effort. City codes require that there be a parking space for every 300 square feet of building. That limited the Library to a building only a couple of thousand square feet larger than the original structure.
CONSTRUCTION BUDGET
This building project, and others needed by Rapides Parish Library, were not feasible within the confines of the existing budget. In 2006 parish voters approved a one mill property tax increase with a 64% positive vote. That success will solve two problems for the Library. First and foremost, it will enable the Library to prevent the development of a budget deficit that was looming, due to the rising cost of insurance, utilities and other elements of the operational budget. For library customers in the Fuhrer service area it will also mean that at last the Library can afford to build a 10,000 square foot regional library to serve the current and future populations of the area.
The Library has secured a line of credit that will enable the construction of new branches in Hineston and Glenmora, as well as the regional library in Alexandria. Part of the one mill property tax increase will pay off those loans over the next seven years.
SITE SEARCH
The Library investigated more than twenty potential sites in the Jackson Street Extension and Highway 28W areas. Commercial property prices are extremely high, especially since the announcement of the Highway 28W Wal-Mart. The search narrowed down to two affordable sites in acceptable locations. The Board chose a two acre plot on Provine Place in the Lake District, next door to Griffin Family Practice, just one block off of the highway. This location, only 1.1 miles from MacArthur Drive, is well situated to serve existing housing areas and the current and predicted population growth in the general area. The site will be the home of the 10,000 square foot regional facility and has enough space for ample parking and future expansion, whenever that is needed. When Versailles Boulevard is extended to connect Jackson Street to Highway 28W, it will cross Provine Place about two blocks from the regional library. This will give excellent access to the library from existing neighborhoods.
FUHRER BRANCH HISTORY
In 1982 the Rapides Parish Library opened the 3024 square foot Fuhrer Branch on the corner of Canterbury and Parliament in southwestern Alexandria. Over the years the branch has become the system’s busiest facility after Main Library. A temporary building was placed on the site to house all of the branch’s fiction books, thus temporarily taking the pressure off of the main building. Affectionately called “the outhouse” by some customers, it was always seen as a stop-gap measure until a larger facility could be built. At first the Library administration explored the possibility of adding on to the existing structure, but realized that the small size of the lot prevented a large enough addition to justify the effort. City codes require that there be a parking space for every 300 square feet of building. That limited the Library to a building only a couple of thousand square feet larger than the original structure.
CONSTRUCTION BUDGET
This building project, and others needed by Rapides Parish Library, were not feasible within the confines of the existing budget. In 2006 parish voters approved a one mill property tax increase with a 64% positive vote. That success will solve two problems for the Library. First and foremost, it will enable the Library to prevent the development of a budget deficit that was looming, due to the rising cost of insurance, utilities and other elements of the operational budget. For library customers in the Fuhrer service area it will also mean that at last the Library can afford to build a 10,000 square foot regional library to serve the current and future populations of the area.
The Library has secured a line of credit that will enable the construction of new branches in Hineston and Glenmora, as well as the regional library in Alexandria. Part of the one mill property tax increase will pay off those loans over the next seven years.
SITE SEARCH
The Library investigated more than twenty potential sites in the Jackson Street Extension and Highway 28W areas. Commercial property prices are extremely high, especially since the announcement of the Highway 28W Wal-Mart. The search narrowed down to two affordable sites in acceptable locations. The Board chose a two acre plot on Provine Place in the Lake District, next door to Griffin Family Practice, just one block off of the highway. This location, only 1.1 miles from MacArthur Drive, is well situated to serve existing housing areas and the current and predicted population growth in the general area. The site will be the home of the 10,000 square foot regional facility and has enough space for ample parking and future expansion, whenever that is needed. When Versailles Boulevard is extended to connect Jackson Street to Highway 28W, it will cross Provine Place about two blocks from the regional library. This will give excellent access to the library from existing neighborhoods.
REGIONAL LIBRARY FLOOR PLAN
At their September 18th meeting the Library Board of Control heard a proposal from Alliance Design Group, outlining schematics (floor plans) for the regional library to be located in the Lake District. The 10,000 sq ft design includes large and small meeting rooms, a coffee shop, glass walled study rooms for 4-8 people, and, of course, considerably more space for books, audiovisual materials, computers, seating, etc. The building will have a narrow front and a parking lot running parallel to its long (east) side. The main entrance will be on that east side. The front corner tower will house part of the children’s collection. The exterior will feature brick and plaster surfaces, as well as a long covered porch to minimize visitors’ in-the-sun (or rain) time as they pass to and from the parking lot. The design will fit in with other structures built or planned for the area, without creating excessively high construction costs. The Board was pleased with the design and authorized the architects and library administrative staff to move forward toward more detailed drawings.
Magnolia Trace Apartments, the regional site’s
down-the-block neighbor
(click on picture for larger picture)
Regional site in Lake District, next door to
Griffin Family Practice.
(click on picture for larger picture)
Pictures of what the Fuhrer Branch Library looks like today:
Front view of the Fuhrer Branch Library
(click on picture for larger picture)
This is Fuhrer Branch's Fiction Annex
(click on picture for larger picture)
Rear view of the Fuhrer Branch Library
(clcik on picture for larger picture)
This is Fuhrer Branch's crowded interior
(click on picture for larger picture)
Front view of the Fuhrer Branch Library
(click on picture for larger picture)
This is Fuhrer Branch's Fiction Annex
(click on picture for larger picture)
Rear view of the Fuhrer Branch Library
(clcik on picture for larger picture)
This is Fuhrer Branch's crowded interior
(click on picture for larger picture)
