GENEVA — The Geneva Public Library announced it has selected Holmes, King, Kallquist, & Associates, Architects (HKK) to help plan the demolition of the neighboring building it purchased in February and to design a new parking lot on the property. Over the next six months, HKK will also work with the library to create a […]
GENEVA — The Geneva Public Library announced it has selected Holmes, King, Kallquist, & Associates, Architects (HKK) to help plan the demolition of the neighboring building it purchased in February and to design a new parking lot on the property.
Over the next six months, HKK will also work with the library to create a master plan for facility improvements to support the new parking lot and existing and future library services. The master plan will incorporate the design of the parking lot, and use data collected through community surveys and operational statistics to develop new floorplan drawings for the library that will be used for future improvement projects, the library said in a news release.
Holmes, King, Kallquist, & Associates, based at 575 North Salina St. in Syracuse, was selected from a group of 15 proposals, the Geneva Public Library said.
The architecture firm is currently working with the Oneida Public Library on the construction of its new library building. In 2004, HKK received an Outstanding Library Building Award from the New York Library Association for its work with the Fayetteville Free Library.
Keplinger Freeman Associates — a DeWitt–based landscape architectural and land planning firm — and RZ Engineering, PLLC — a professional civil engineering firm also based in DeWitt — are also assisting with the Geneva Public Library project as the consultant team.
As part of the parking-lot design process, HKK will prepare several concept plans that will be available for public review before a final plan is selected. The Geneva Public Library expects to have a final parking-lot site plan selected in July in preparation for several New York State grant opportunities.
Property purchase
The Geneva Public Library purchased the 226 Castle St. property adjacent to the library. The property includes the 14,000-square-foot former Touhey Insurance building as well as the attached parking lot. In all, the library acquired two parcels of land, for which it paid $187,500, Chris Finger, library director, tells CNYBJ. The acquisition is set to be fully paid for by a 2018 New York State Public Library construction grant.
More information regarding the concept plans and the ultimate timeline for construction will be announced this summer, the library said.
The Geneva Public Library, located at 244 N. Main St., was chartered as an association library in 1905 to serve the city and town of Geneva. The library says it is focused on providing “engaging programming and reliable information to visitors and residents of all ages, and houses an extensive collection of resources and information about local cultural architectural, economic, family and natural history to researchers and residents.”