Big changes!

I had the opportunity to visit the new library building on Monday, March 1, and was amazed at the progress. Painting has begun, and the colors are warm and inviting. The ceiling grid is almost completely in place, and you can get a real feel for the space-the size of the rooms and the height of the ceilings. It's something you just can't capture in photos, but I think you'll be impressed with the changes. I know I was.

Latest update

A few staff members visited the building site today, and it sounds like taping, mudding, and sanding of the drywall is taking place now. Below, a few staff members check out their future work room!




At Monday's board meeting, Kate Smith, project coordinator, reported that building construction is just over 70% complete. Even though that seems like completion is near, there are still plenty of things to do before the library is ready to open. Kate reported that within the next month, we can expect painting of the walls to begin, and work on the ceiling to start. Measurements for woodwork such as chair rail and trim should take place this month also. Last week, a group of staff and a trustee visited Stocks in Champaign, along with a designer from Apace Design to look at and try numerous pieces of furniture. This visit helped us determine what furnishings will best meet our needs and the comfort of our patrons in the new building.

Drywall is up!

This video contains pictures taken January 29, 2010. You can really visualize what the inside of the building will look like (minus shelves, furniture, etc...)

Windows!

This picture was taken today, and you can see windows if you look to the right side of the picture. Also check out the green metal roofing material that's been installed on the upper portion of the roof. More updates to come soon!

Latest update

Here are the latest updates on the new building project:

*The drywall is up, but not finished. It will take 3-4 weeks to do the finish work, then the walls will be ready for paint.

*The metal roof is being installed on the south side of the building, but the colder temperatures may put this on hold.

*Heating/AC work continues.

*All of the exterior windows have been installed except the 9 high ones on the south side of the building.

I'm also including a picture taken by Roger Kirkwood in early January of the brickwork that's been done on the back exterior of the building.

Progress update

The library board received an update from Project Coordinator Kate Smith at Monday's board meeting, and here's what's happening with the new library project:

A few items, such as masonry, roofing, siding, and fascia are on hold until the weather warms up. Installation of plumbing, heating/air conditioning, and electrical are progressing. In the next month, contractors plan to work on windows, drywall work will continue, and roofing and masonry will progress if the weather allows.

Construction is just over 60% complete!

Update

With the building enclosed now, the photo updates may not be as frequent as in the past. Here are a few photos of some changes inside. Later in the week I will post information presented at tonight's board meeting regarding construction progress.

The steel framework

Putting up the drywall

An area with drywall...NICE!

December 17, 2009 photos

I was able to visit the building site today, and it always amazes me to see the progress! Interior studs are in, so you can see where rooms will be located, and can visualize where desks, computers, shelves, etc. will be located. Crews were working on electrical and installing door frames when we were in. The building has styrofoam sheathing on the outside, which you can see as you drive by, but to further weatherproof, there is a blue-green spray foam inside coating the walls. Plumbing work has been done, and some ductwork has been installed as well.

Mahomet Public Library Receives Donation

Mahomet Public Library Director Lynn Schmit accepts a donation from Linda Farrand on behalf of the Pinetree Neighborhood Association. The Neighborhood Association held a book swap fundraiser to benefit the library.

Photos from Dec. 5, 2009

Roger Kirkwood has been taking beautiful photographs of the library building progress, and I hope to put a sampling of those up in the next few weeks. For now, here's a sampling of photographs from December 5:

Week of Nov. 9th

If you've gone by the new library site, you'll see that the building has been covered in blue sheathing! You can see the progress below:

Goals for the next month

According to an update from Kate Smith, project coordinator, these are some of the things Vanguard expects to accomplish by the end of November:

1. Roughing in the plumbing, heating/cooling, and electrical for the ceiling area.
2. More door and window frames are to be delivered and installed.
3. Interior metal studs will arrive on site and be installed.
4. After roughing in of utilities is complete, additional layers of the roof will be added.
5. Wall sheathing material is expected to arrive the first week of November. Exterior wall masonry will begin after sheathing is complete and the stone is delivered.

All in all, the progress is on schedule, and the building is expected to be enclosed by the mid-December target date. All too soon, it won't be easy for us to see the progress, as it will be going on inside the enclosed building!!

Look at the change!

It has been two weeks since I took photos at the building site, and look at the change between these pictures and the last ones posted! There's been framing work done, and today they were working on the roof. It was fun to watch the large forklift raise the roof panels to waiting workers who hefted them into place. They're making great progress getting the building closed in. I'm anxious to hear the updates presented by Kate Smith at next week's board meeting. I'll try to get some more pictures of the interior of the builiding, as well as post some pictures of the color palette soon!

Latest progress

Kate Smith, Project Coordinator, shared the latest progress on the new library building at the October 12 board meeting. Roof trusses have gone up, as you can see in the picture below. Metal stud framing was scheduled to begin the first part of October. Exterior masonry materials are also being ordered. During the month of October, the focus is on finishing the parking paving and working on wall framing, trusses, sheathing, insulation, etc. to get the building enclosed before winter.

I took the following pictures today, Monday, October 19th.

Building progress update

Kate Smith, Project Coordinator for the new library building project, provided me with some information regarding progress on the new library building. First, a lot of the concrete for the drive and parking lot has been poured. If the weather holds out, the rest may be completed this week. They have started backfilling around the paved area, and hope to do temporary grass seeding along the south side of the building before the weather turns too cold. The installation of the structural steel is on schedule and should be completed early this week, and roof trusses will be delivered mid-week. Exterior wall framing starts this week, and the exterior masonry choices have been approved by the library board. The primary focus right now is to get the building enclosed before winter. What to watch for in the next few weeks: framing, trusses, sheathing, insulation, and masonry being installed!

Growing up!

The building is really starting to take shape! Photos taken September 30, 2009.

September 26, 2009

More wonderful progress on the new library building...

Bathroom/Tornado Shelter takes shape


The News-Gazette also had a picture of workers putting up the block walls of the bathroom in the Tuesday, September 22, 2009 edition, page B-2.

The beginnings of the steel frame

Mid-September progress

See how things are shaping up at the construction site. Watch for the structural steel to make an appearance soon!

Progress Report

As you can see, more concrete has been poured. Parking should be much easier at the new location! In the next few weeks we should see progress on the parking lot and the arrival of the structural steel! Color choices are also being made, for the interior and exterior of the building. The library director, a trustee, and library staff member spent hours looking through color samples for the interior of the building - everything from wall coverings and carpet to the color of bathroom stalls. The color scheme has been described as earth-tones, similar to the colors you see in the soybean fields this time of year, in inviting combinations of green, brown and gold.

Update from September 12, 2009

Again, it's been almost 2 weeks since I've visited the site of the new library, and the changes are exciting! The south parking lot has been poured, and when I visited on Saturday, it looks like the north half of the library floor has been poured, too. They've framed up where the lane into the parking area will be poured, and you can see irrigation pipes under the lane. According to the last report, the project is on schedule. I may have more to share after tonight's board meeting, but for now, enjoy some pictures of the progress!