NO SIDS WALK
H-10 CHAMPIONS
The local Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Walk for the Future slated for noon Aug. 22 at McKinley Park in Creston has been canceled this year.
Creston Panthers softball team named outright Hawkeye 10 Conference champions ... finally. The decision was made by the H-10 athletic directors Tuesday. More on 8A.
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2015
MAPPING THE FUTURE Preliminary drawings for a new expansion at Gibson Memorial Library are complete. Expansion restores an east entrance to library. ■
By KYLE WILSON
CNA managing editor kwilson@crestonnews.com
T
he excitement is starting to build. Preliminary drawings for a new expansion at Gibson Memorial Library are complete and have been released. These drawings were produced following a two-day design charrette last week whereby architects from FEH Associates of Des Moines “camped out” in the library’s genealogy room and gathered input from the community about the design. “The architects were responsive to the public’s input and particularly the staff. They are not only good designers, but they are good Hargrove listeners and that strengthened by confidence in their product,” said David Hargrove, library director at Gibson Memorial Library. The preliminary drawings show a 8,995 square foot expansion to the south side of the building. They also show restoration of an east entrance to the library on Maple Street with a large handicap ramp leading to the new addition. (See top drawing) Ann Coulter, chairwoman of Creston Library Board, likes how FEH Associates plan to blend the old building with the new addition to keep the same “architectural feel.” “Those deeply attached to the legacy of the library will really like this addition,” Hargrove said. “The expansion compliments the building’s initial design.”
The most exciting part about this expansion, though, for all involved will be the additional meeting room space. On the first floor, there will be three meeting rooms — two medium that would hold 10 to 20 patrons and one large holding up to 40. That’s in addition to the arts/cultural center space. (See bottom drawing) The second floor will have two small and one medium meeting rooms. Hargrove said the larger meeting room will be able to accommodate confere n c e , classroom or the- Coulter atre-style seating. “This meeting space will allow for the community to collaborate or socialize, which is a major function of up-to-date libraries of today. We don’t have that now,” Coulter said. In terms of new programming at the library, the wheels are already turning for Hargrove and Coulter. “There are so many opportunities for programming if we can add this space,” Coulter said. “We could do shared programming with the Y, school or college. We could offer tutoring. Who knows what else we can come up with?”
Parking challenge
Coulter said her least favorite part of the new addition is lack of parking. The new space will be able to accommodate more patrons. The problem: There is no available land near the library, currently, to add a new parking lot. That means patrons will have to use the street parking on Maple Street or the current parking lot west of the library. “It will not be convenient for patrons,” Coulter said. Creston Library Board does hope to talk to the city of Creston about changing parking near the library on Maple Street to diagonal parking, which would increase the number of parking stalls. In the future, it also plans to ask the city to designate a few handicap parking
east entrance
upper level spots on Maple Street so that those patrons can easily access the library via the new ramp.
lower level
Arts center
This addition includes 2,588 square feet for an arts and cultural center on the lower level of the library. Hargrove and Coulter said they don’t feel they received enough input from the arts community during the design charrette. Thus, Hargrove has been actively contacting groups that fall under the arts umbrella. “We’re casting the nets as wide as possible,” Hargrove said. “We want input from as many segments of the arts community as we can identify — civic organizations, photography, quilters, genealogy, garden clubs, theatre, Please see LIBRARY, Page 2
SWCC board discusses construction delay By KELSEY HAUGEN
CNA staff reporter khaugen@crestonnews.com
The board of directors announced a solution for the delayed instructional building renovations, discussed the need for more housing and toured one of the new houses on South Elm Street during a Southwestern Community College (SWCC) meeting Tuesday.
Construction setbacks The original plan was for work
in the 200-bay hallway of the instructional building to be finished by Sept. 14, but Tom Lesan, vice president of economic development, said the project is about two weeks behind schedule. Though everything else has gone well so far, SWCC is waiting on the doors and windows to be shipped, which won’t happen until after Sept. 14. “We’re going to set up some computer labs in (room) 180, so we do have a plan to have those
classes held the first four weeks of September,” Lesan said. “It will be a bit of a pain, but we will make it work.”
New dorm building
The board approved SWCC’s five-year facilities plan. On the long list of construction and renovation projects planned for the next five years is a new dorm building in 2016. Lesan will lead the $6 million project. The dorm rooms are selling so well right now that Beth Kulow,
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SWCC dean of student services, said more than 100 percent of SWCC’s housing is filled. “We are literally out of beds,” Kulow Kulow said. “I cannot get them from the furniture supply company fast enough.” Beds have been doubled up in nearly every dorm room to help
with the overflow of incoming students, Lesan said. Some students are renting rooms or basements in off-campus houses. “It’s going to be full, which is a great problem to have, but that’s why our time period on building dorms has gotten shorter,” Lesan said.
Tour of UCDA house
After the meeting, SWCC board Please see SWCC, Page 2
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