CHARLESTON, S.C. - Three Charleston County Public Library branches are currently closed for renovations; the Hurd/St. Andrews, Otranto Road, and Johns Island libraries.
"They're really going to look like new spaces when you come in. I think everybody's going to be really surprised at how much we're able to do and how different they're going to look," said Project Manager Toni Lombardozzi.
The renovations are paid for by a referendum approved by voters in 2014. The $108.5 million referendum paid for building five new branches and renovating 13 existing branches.
"All of the regionals opened in 1992, except for Johns Island which came online in 2004. Nothing has changed very much in the buildings since then. We have had a few upgrades here and there, some paint and maybe new carpeting in some of the auditoriums. Some of them haven't been touched at all. So if you can believe it, I'm standing on carpet that's more than 20 years old. It's really time to go in there, strip everything down, and really refresh the space. We're looking forward to completely taking the building down to the concrete floor and starting from the bottom up," Lombardozzi said.
The renovations will include creating new uses for the space within the building.
"One of the main things that we hear all the time from our patrons is the library is too noisy. And it's a difficult thing to manage at a library because we want to be welcoming to all groups of people, which includes little kids and teenagers who aren't always the quietest. So what we're going to be doing is sort of separating the building a little bit. Now that sounds a little dramatic, but don't worry it's all going to still be very open and have a very nice flow. We'll have an enclosed children's area. It will all be glass so you will still be able to see everything that's going on there, very safe. Similarly, we'll be creating the same type of area, an enclosed space, for our teen users. Hopefully, that helps mitigate some of the sound issues that we've been having and make it a more welcoming place for everyone to come," she said.
Inside the current design of the regional branches, you'll notice a lot of heavy, bulky, dated furniture. With the renovations, that's all going away.
"Libraries now are much more flexible spaces, we want to be able to adapt over time. Big, clunky pieces of furniture, like our service desks, you're stuck with them forever. It's time to lose that old feel and come in with a new feeling of how libraries should be," Lombardozzi said.
The restrooms at all the regional branches will receive upgrades, including the addition of an ADA-compliant single-occupancy restroom that will provide a gender-neutral or family option. The renovations also include some much-needed cosmetic updates.
"We're getting all new carpeting and LVT, which is a vinyl flooring, as you come into the building. That will help with some of the weather. It rains here a lot so that will help to preserve the carpeting for longer. All new paint so when you come in it will have a nice, new feeling. We're getting new light fixtures that will be more updated with the new electrical codes. We're pleased to bring the aesthetic up as well as the functionality of the building," she said.
Construction is expected to that nine months to a year. Once these three branches are complete, CCPL will move on to renovating the Mt. Pleasant and Dorchester Road branches.
For more construction updates and progress photos, follow the Charleston County Public Library on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To learn more about the renovations, click here.