by Kevin Lilly
Pharos-Tribune
LOGANSPORT —
Users of the Logansport/Cass County Public Library can expect the $800,000 in renovations to wrap by the end of September.
Director David Ivey says what remains includes arranging new furniture, installing new computers and getting Commercial Contracting Inc., the general contractor, to finish a punch list of final touches.
“We’re in pretty good shape,” he said.
Ivey estimated that the project was nearly 95 percent complete.
The punch list entails re-gluing some flooring, installing electrical fixtures and addressing some condensation issues that can be fixed by insulating duct work in the ceiling.
In November, the board of trustees awarded the contract to Commercial Contracting Inc. of Ft. Wayne with a base bid of $804,000. The initial completion date was June 1 but setbacks pushed that date back.
Workers encountered asbestos under the second floor carpeting that had to be properly removed. They also discovered that some of the main support columns in the building were cast iron, and not steel. That forced workers to reinforce the structure with steel so they could weld some of the newer parts to it.
Ivey says even with the unexpected extra work, the project remains within budget.
The biggest portions of the project are done. Interior renovation work included adding a new computer lab and magazine and reading area upstairs, drywalling and new carpeting in the upstairs, reconfiguration of shelves, removing the main staircase at the entryway of the building and inserting four structural columns to replace the previous shelving units that were the part of the building's foundation.
As for the exterior, the employee parking lot is done, a limestone sign has been added, along with a security camera, new front door, new bike rack and outdoor landscaping.
The library stayed open throughout construction and actually experienced a slight increase in circulation from its more than 500,000 items in 2009, which was the highest rate the library has ever had. Temporary walls were built to shield the construction noise but patrons still had to deal with the smell of sealant and dust from cutting concrete.
The staircase whose removal drew criticism got demolished without fanfare, Ivey said. The contractor reused railing from it to block off the upstairs loft. Steel from the structure was recycled and additional railing was saved for possible future needs.
Ivey likes the new look and open spaces on the first floor. There is no longer an obstacle in the entryway. After an area of carpeting is replaced downstairs, shelves will get reconfigured to take advantage of additional space.
Along the way, workers discovered a few oddities. Ivey said they found an old Coke bottle, a 50-year-old ladder and some furniture while tearing open the building's walls. They also found messages written by construction workers during World War II describing some of America's war-time enemies and charring from the 1941 library fire.
Some final touches may extend beyond the end of the month. The staff, Ivey said, needs to find a home in the library for an old Shakespeare stained glass window found on one of the older shelves.
Several paintings, some of which come from local artists dating back to the 1800s, will be hung up on the new gallery wall spaces once they get professionally cleaned and restored. An expert from the Indianapolis Museum of Art reviewed them “with an eye toward conservation,” Ivey said.
Things like that could take place over the next couple of months.
“But, those are the fun things,” Ivey said.
The library is considering an auction in the spring to sell of a basement full of items.
“We’ve got lots of stuff that’s either old furniture or building materials that if we’re not going to use them we might as well sell them,” Ivey said.
The board of trustees is also considering an open house to show off renovations.
• Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.
