McAllen unveils plans to turn old Wal-Mart into new library

 Patricia Morales has been visiting the Main Street library here since she was just a child.

She has always been satisfied with the building, but when she saw plans for the city's new library, she had just one reaction: "Wow."

 "I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this one, but they could have more room for computers and work spaces," the 25-year-old said.

Both those features - and many others - are included in plans for the new library, which will be located in a renovated former Wal-Mart building at North 23rd Street and Nolana.

Last week, city leaders got their first thorough look at designs for the new library, which will also feature a 200-seat auditorium, trails around its exterior and a coffee bar.

The city purchased the Wal-Mart in 2006 for $5 million. The renovation will carry a $14.2 million price tag, according to estimates provided to the city by architects Boultinghouse Simpson and MS&R.

Designs the City Commission saw last week aren't final, but they do provide the most thorough look to date at the new library, which will replace the 601 N. Main St. location as the city's main library.

The timeline for the project is largely dependent on how the commission reacts to various designs architects present over the coming months, but construction will likely begin sometime next year.

Current plans for the facility include conference and meeting rooms, a kitchen for catered events and a computer lab with room for 150 workstations, which will remain open to the public even after the rest of the library closes.

The facility is designed in such a way that walls will isolate the computer lab from the rest of the building after regular library hours. Security personnel also will be on hand to monitor the computer lab.

A skylight in the center of the building - a feature enthusiastically touted by architect Bob Simpson - will allow natural light to enter.

"I finally see us moving in the right direction," said McAllen City Commissioner Hilda Salinas. "I think we're all on the same page."

The costs of the project had been subject to some debate earlier this year, and at one point, city leaders even considered demolishing the building and starting from scratch.

When they learned demolition would be more expensive, they opted to stick with renovations after all, though they reduced the project's budget.

McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez encouraged Simpson to continue pursuing more creative options for the building's exterior, which features curved walls and an overhead canopy.

He wasn't as impressed with the redesign as Morales.

"This is very satisfactory to me, but it's not a ‘wow,'" Cortez told Simpson during a workshop meeting.

Commissioners seem to have high expectations for the facility and appear optimistic it will become something of a city landmark akin to the McAllen Convention Center.

Cortez, meanwhile, also questioned whether the library needed the extensive staff office space, but Library Director Jose Gamez assured him it is a necessity.

"I think it's important to have space set aside for staff development," Gamez said at the workshop. "I'm doing staff development in a storage room now."

The library will also have an expanded genealogy room and a teen section.

"The internal layout is looking really good," Gamez said in an interview earlier this month. "I think the space is going to work really well for the public. The children's department will be huge and the teen department is one of the biggest in state."

Lillie Davidson, who was browsing through books at the Main Street library last week, said she thinks the new library's location will be particularly convenient for some McAllen residents, given the city's growth on the north and west sides.

"I think it would be a big help," Davidson said of the new library.

Extensive landscaping, along with a new façade, will seemingly obscure any traces of the former Wal-Mart's current exterior. City leaders have long maintained they don't want the library to look like a Wal-Mart.

The building is also slated to feature a plaza in front, complete with a fountain and shaded seating areas.

"We see a lively outdoor space in front," Simpson said.

____

 Ryan Holeywell covers McAllen, PSJA, the Mid-Valley and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4446.