Sheehan Nagle Hartray Architects (SNHA) has approval from St. Charles Public Library District and the City of St. Charles, for an $18.6 million renovation and expansion of the St. Charles Public Library.
The project will join three existing sections of the library and when complete, the building will occupy about 66,500 sq.-ft.
The design will improve the user experience by accommodating library service trends and creating more friendly spaces. Additional site planning will address the under-utilization of the property, which spans approximately three-quarters of a block.
SNHA’s design for the renovation and expansion project includes:
- a new building entry which will integrate the original Carnegie Library into daily library activities
- a new main stair and elevatorthat will improve accessibility
- a new public meeting roomlocated near the library entry, acoustically isolated individual and group study rooms, youth library program room, and dedicated teen space
- a maker space to include a fully equipped audiovisual (AV) studio
- additional public seating, much of which is concentrated in the library’s existing light-filled two-story space
- a sunken courtyard that will increase daylight into the lower-level youth library and accommodate outdoor library programming
- expanded and consolidated staff work areas
- a re-planned site that increases parking, improves safety, adds a drive-up service window,and creates landscaped site amenities
The library’s construction manager plans to break ground in March and expects to complete the project next year.
