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Library Changes Coming

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By HAROLD VALENTINE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 26, 2007

FOREST HILLS - The new year will bring major changes at the North Tampa Branch Library.

Swati Bose, the architecture services manager for Hillsborough County, said she expects demolition of the old 11,000-square-foot building at 8916 North Boulevard in June. Replacing that will be a 23,500-square-foot, single-story building designed by South Tampa's Fleischman Garcia Architecture.

"It's an exciting design," Bose said. "It's going to be a huge, huge improvement."

The county is seeking bids on contracts to build the facility. The project has a $4.375 million budget. Bose expects construction to take twelve months.

"The community is really enthusiastic and grateful that the project is moving forward," said Suzy George, the chief librarian for the Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System. She said a study of the building yielded a variety of problems. "It was decided it would be better to tear it down and build a new facility on the site," she said.

Despite budget cuts, Bose said the North Tampa branch was one of only two - the Seffner-Mango branch included - where improvement projects were not postponed.

The site's access drives, signs, parking lot and sidewalks also will be reworked during construction.

In line with the cooperative between the county and the city of Tampa established by the state in 1984, the North Tampa branch's deed was signed over to the county from the city, making the improvement project possible, George said.

Reporter Harold Valentine can be reached at (813) 865-1526 or hvalentine@tampatrib.com.

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