Longtime plans to expand the Ocean Beach Branch Library remain idle as funding proves elusive. The addition of approximately 10,421 feet was initially proposed in 2002 as part of the city’s 21st Century Library Improvement Program, which includes 12 new libraries and 12 expansions to existing facilities.
To date, only four of the 24 projects have been completed. Funding continues to be the main obstacle, and a familiar one for many city departments these days. The improvement program requires that all libraries meet a 15,000-square-foot space requirement. Currently, the Ocean Beach library has 4,579 square feet.
The proposed expansion in Ocean Beach would triple the current library’s size and allow for a wide range of new uses and services.
“The city and the members of the community have been working together on a variety of different ideas,” Collins said of preliminary planning with architectural firm Hanna Gabriel Wells.
The project would necessitate the acquisition of neighboring properties, which has not yet been discussed concretely. While the concept is still largely abstract, an influx of money could get the ball rolling and the design drawn.
San Diego Public Library spokesman Arian Collins said that completing the expansion by the previously projected 2011 deadline is contingent upon money. Of the $9.4 million needed, only $2 million has been raised through a federal Housing and Urban Development loan.
“The funding is not in place yet for that to be completed,” he said of the little progress made in Ocean Beach since the project was announced.
According to Collins, state and federal grants are a prime source of revenue and the nature of a project dictates its eligibility. For example, the new Logan Heights library will be integrated into a school site, which has opened up more funding opportunities for that branch than others in the 21st Century Library Improvement Program.
The few funds available for library projects are currently tied up in four improvements around the city. The North University Community and Serra Mesa branches are now under construction and expected to open by July, while the city is slated to break ground later this year on the Logan Heights branch. Additionally, preliminary work on the 366,094-square-foot main library downtown is underway, although the bulk of the project is on hold pending funding. The latter two received funds from a proposition passed by California voters in 2000 totaling $25 million.
On Nov. 7, California voters will weigh in once again on library funding with Proposition 81. Should the measure be approved, the state would sell $600 million in bonds to fund grants for local library expansions, improvements and new buildings. The principal and interest would be paid back over 30 years at a final estimated cost to the state of $1.2 billion, or double the amount borrowed. Proposition 81 requires that the local agencies benefiting from the grants provide $320 million statewide toward the projects, as well as absorb any resulting operating costs.
Donations are also an important part of funding for library projects. The San Diego Public Library Foundation and the library’s development staff solicit gifts and seek grants on a regular basis, while continuously prioritizing the list of work to be done.
“We’re always looking for people that are interested [in donating],” Collins said.
Although the city’s declining fiscal health has resulted in years of reductions to library hours, Collins said it is important to pursue the improvements regardless of such circumstances.
“You don’t just stop planning the expansions or new facilities completely,” he said, adding that budget cuts are cyclical.
For more information on the 21st Century Library Improvement Program, visit www.sandiego.gov/public-library/about-the-library/projects.shtml.
