New Panama City Beach library almost ready for furniture

Panama City News Herald
by Pat Kelly/News Herald Writer
January 27, 2010

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The new $1.8 million Panama City Beach library is nearing completion and getting ready for new furniture.

Doug Gilmore, the chairman of the library’s fundraising committee, met recently with head librarian Frank Walker to plan for the unique needs of the new 10,000-square-foot library, including shelving, furniture and computers.

Preliminary estimates for the furnishings are $103,000, and the Northwest Florida Regional Library System already has pledged $30,000, Gilmore said. He will ask the City Council during its regular 2 p.m. meeting today to amend its budget and match the $30,000 amount.

“We are getting close, and we are ready to order the furniture,” Gilmore said Wednesday. “It’s getting down to the exciting part.”

City Manager Richard Jackson said construction for the new facility should be completed near mid-March with a grand opening near mid-April.

“That could be a bit optimistic, but they are moving along pretty good,” Jackson said.

The new facility is at the corner of Hutchison Boulevard and Lyndell Lane near the Senior Center and Lyndell Community Center. It will replace the current 4,500-square-foot building near U.S. 98 and State 79 that has outgrown its space.

Library officials said the existing library is used more than any other branch in the Northwest Regional Library System, which includes Bay, Gulf and Liberty counties.

Local groups of citizens and civic organizations have worked on the planning and fundraising for the project, for which a $500,000 state grant was awarded.

Gilmore said Wednesday his committee has raised about $300,000 for the project, with $60,000 more coming in pledges, but more is needed.

“We are starting another campaign right now,” he said. “I know that this is a really tough economic climate, but what we really need are corporate donations, even if they are just letters of commitment.”

City officials have said the total cost of the state-of-the-art library could reach $2.23 million after architectural, engineering and survey costs are included.