Dirt turned for new Beach library

Photo by Terry Barner The News Herald
An artist's rendering shows the new 10,000-square-foot Panama City Beach branch of the Bay County Library scheduled for completion near Hutchison Boulevard and Lyndell Lane in July 2010.

by Pat Kelly/ New Herald Writer

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Panama City Chamber of Commerce official Beth Oltman promised it will be "our newest gem in Panama City Beach."

County Commission Chairman Jerry Girvin noted that it will put the hushed and dusty libraries of yesteryear to shame, with a computer center, an adult literacy classroom and teen activities area.

"The libraries of today are not your grandfather's libraries," he said.

And Beach Mayor Gail Oberst, who first got the ball rolling when she applied for a $500,000 state grant, said the exponential growth of Panama City Beach, and the resulting impact fees, will now help pay for history in the making.

"Here is a perfect example of growth paying for growth," she said.

City and county officials grabbed some golden shovels and turned dirt for the latest branch of the Bay County Public Library system on Thursday, a new 10,000-square-foot building that city officials hope will be completed in a year.

The $1.8-million high-tech library will be located at the corner of Hutchison Boulevard and Lyndell Lane and share space with the Senior Center and Lyndell Community Center.

The total cost of the library could reach $2.23 million after architectural, engineering and survey costs are included, officials said.

The construction contract was awarded to Construct Two Group. Construction director Charles R. Lewis III said Thursday he hoped to be finished with the project by Christmas.

The new facility will replace a current 4,500-square-foot building near U.S. 98 and State 79 that has outgrown its space, said Doug Gilmore, a member of the Bay County Library Board and chairman of a group of citizens and civic groups that worked on planning and fundraising.

Officials have said that 71,000 people moved through the old library in 2008, and 64,000 books were checked out. More than 300 people might use the library in a single week.

"It's a great day for the Beach's community," Gilmore said Thursday. "We've got a fantastic library coming that everyone can be proud of."

The city was awarded a $500,000 state grant for the library's construction, and almost $260,000 has been collected from private donations, which are still being solicited.

The rest of the funding will come from $689,501 in projected impact fees and $781,806 from the city's contingency fund. The old library building will be converted into needed city office space.

Panama City News Herald/ April 10, 2008