Construction Update – almost ready for the roof

Last week saw the first rains of the season. Great news for California’s crops, parched lawns, and 38(!) million residents – not so wonderful for the construction site. A light rain is no problem, but our crew is now focused on getting the library roof in place before heavier rains arrive. This week we’ll see the frame of the expansion welded to the existing half of the library. Once that work is done and inspected, the roof is next!

The metal frame now extends all the way to the edge of the foundation

Corner of the building shows gaps for building access

Using the scissor lift to put more framing in place

Construction updates and great family programs!

Work is proceeding at a good pace on the construction site. Our design team is spending the Fall finalizing most of the shelving, furniture, artwork, and other great stuff you’ll find inside the building. The orders for these items can take a long time to fill, so we’re working diligently to make our selections with lots of time to spare.

This week be sure to come by the Temporary Library on Hesperian. Wednesday afternoon at 2pm we’ll be treated to a visit from the Owls of Sulfur Creek. And Saturday at 2:30pm we’ll host a visit from a 3D Printer! Come watch as a box the size of a microwave melts plastic and turns it into almost anything you can imagine. See you at the library…

Connection point between the new frame and the existing library

Attaching the beams in the corner of what will be the Community Room roof

More roof steel is piling up and tension wires hold the frame steady

Foundation outlines the storefront area where vegetation will welcome visitors to the library

Meet the New Boss

Ben Gomberg, the new San Lorenzo Library manager, joined the Alameda County Library in August. His prior library experience includes 5 years in the City of Monterey working with teens and adults, and 2 years with Daly City managing the main library there. He grew up in Oakland and has returned to the East Bay excited to build connections for the library in the San Lorenzo community. He has experience with designing library spaces, and will be working closely with the design and construction team on the new San Lorenzo Library.

If you’re in the area, stop by and meet Ben.

New Library Expansion Photos!

This week saw the expansion side of the library building really start to take shape. Our staff have been urging visitors to the temporary space to go check out the “tinker toys” that make up the growing steel frame of our future home. We were also treated to an update on the public art project coming to the library expansion. The window panels, designed by Stephen Galloway, will be as tall as 17′!

In the photos below you can really start to see the angles of the expanded library – the sloping roof, the exterior walls, and how it will meet the existing side of the building.

The side of the building facing Hesperian. The front half of the roof will have a different angle than the rear

Closeup on the side of the building facing Hesperian. You can see all the way to the hole in the wall of the existing library. 

Corner of the building nearest the fire station. You can see how far out the patio will extend from the building.

The inside of the existing building. Still dark and waiting for exciting new furniture and shelving.

Monday update from the Library Expansion Construction Site

September is here and so is even more steel for our library expansion! This week marked the first vertical steel beams being placed, marking out the future library staff work space. Today I walked over and found that more beams are up around the edges of the future community room (not pictured – check back next week). The construction crew is hard at work getting as much done as possible before **fingers crossed** the rainy season begins.

Dirt ramp allows construction materials into the site

Foundations and steel beams

In addition to all the steel, gravel is piling up for later use

This week also marks the beginning of our Homework Central after school program. This year we are thankful to the San Lorenzo Village Homeowners Association for allowing the use of their meeting room to host our homework helpers. We can still use more high school aged volunteers to work between 3-5pm Mondays-Thursdays and we welcome kids and parents to visit the V.H.A. meeting room during the same time for homework help.