An In-Depth Look at Excelsior's New Public Library

It’s taken nearly a decade of planning and several trips back to the drawing board, but communities on the south side of Lake Minnetonka will soon have a new public library. 

Work on the $5.6 million library is scheduled to begin next month and be completed by September of 2014. The current 3,750-square-foot library at on Third Street was built in 1965. The new building will be more than twice the size and feature a range of modern amenities such as wireless Internet access and energy-efficient infrastructure.

After ruling out remodeling the existing building in Excelsior due to poor physical condition and finding no suitable space for rent or sale, a total of 13 sites were examined for the new library's location

Hennepin County eventually purchased the old Lyman Lumberyard site in 2010, and initial schematic design plans were drafted shortly afterward. Located on Water Street and next to the Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail, the new library will serve the communities of Excelsior, Shorewood, Greenwood, Tonka Bay and Deephaven.

The Excelsior Heritage Preservation Committee rejected the first design draft, and Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Callison chaired a Library Advisory Committee that met several times during 2011 and 2012 to clarify community interests.

The committee adopted a final design concept in April of last year, and the Excelsior City Council gave final approval in August. 

Last year the library hosted 26,500 patron visits and circulated more than 206,000 items.  

Funding for the library’s construction will be paid for by Hennepin County’s capital expenditures.

Budget for the new library:

• Site acquisition: $540,000
• Construction: $3.25 million
• Consultative services: $833,000
• Furnishings: $332,000
• Equipment: $302,000
• Library collections: $54,000
• Library art fund: $40,000
• Contingency: $326,000
• Other: $28,000

The downtown location will allow patrons to drive, bike or walk to the new library and feature retro-style architecture consistent with the city’s existing buildings.

The old library will remain open during construction of the new building. The complete, 23-page schematic design report is attached to this post as a PDF file.

Architect: 292 Design Group, New Hope
Consulting Historical Architect: MacDonald and Mack Architects
Civil Engineer: BKBM Engineers, Minneapolis
Landscape Architect: Tectonic, Kansas City
Structural Engineer: BKBM Engineers, Minneapolis
Mechanical Engineer: Nelson Rudie & Associate
Electrical Engineer: Nelson Rudie & Associate
Cost Estimating: RJM Construction

Information contained in this post was provided by Hennepin County.