Tuscaloosa Public Library Shores Up Support From County Commission For New Roof

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa County Commission on Wednesday voiced its support for its share of funding to go toward a new roof and other improvements for the Tuscaloosa Public Library's main branch.

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A first reading of the measure was held Wednesday during the Commission's regular meeting, which follows the City of Tuscaloosa and the City of Northport approving their shares of the project's costs earlier in the week.

The total project is expected to cost $2.7 million, with the county set to vote on its $1.13 million portion at its next meeting in a couple of weeks. While no vote was tallied on Wednesday, the prevailing attitude on the Commission was one of the support for the project.

The Northport City Council on Monday approved its share of $378,000, while the Tuscaloosa City Council on Tuesday approved $1.18 million.

"I'm very pleased that all of the funding partners have stepped up to the plate," TPL Executive Director Jennifer Pearson told Patch on Wednesday. "Getting everyone on board with this has been amazing for the library. We definitely feel like we are making some progress."

Ellis Architects estimated the roof replacement to cost $900,000, while a conversion of interior lighting to LED lightning will come in around $500,000.

At present, Pearson said 11 different leaks had been identified in the aging roof — a problem exacerbated by a recent deep freeze in December.

Pearson told the Commission that once the improvements are made, the LED lighting is estimated to result in reduced energy consumption ranging from from 30% to 40%. This will ultimately translate into much lower utility bills, she said.

Upgrading the existing rooftop mechanical system, such as the library's HVAC, will cost approximately $1 million, with $300,000 budgeted as a contingency to cover any overages.

The library previously attempted to repair certain aspects of its HVAC in the early 2000s, but the parts ended up being too expensive and not readily available. The recommendation by Smith, Stegall and Associates calls for eliminating the central system and replacing it with smaller conventional systems.

Indeed, some aspects of the library's HVAC are as old as the main branch itself, which is approaching 50 years old.

"While the reroofing project is a straightforward one, I think it is short sighted to spend money reworking older systems when we have an opportunity to make substantial upgrades," engineer Lee Stegall wore in a letter to the library. "Outdoor units would be located on the roof and now is an ideal time to incorporate this work with roofing work."

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