Niles Library Officials Move Forward with Renovation Plans

A committee of Niles Library board members met Monday to move their renovation process along and narrow potential architecture firms to a list of five.

Officials hope to see a new front entrance, renovated study rooms and a teen area, and better use of existing spaces in the library as part of the renovation.

“Libraries all over the country are renovating,” Board President Barbara Nakanishi said. “We have the money to do it and want to make sure the citizens have a 21st century library.” 

Earlier:

Seventeen architecture firms filed responses to the requests for qualifications. The committee recommended interviewing five top runners in early September.

Alan Armbrust, executive manager of STR Partners, a Chicago-based architecture firm, advised the board on strategies for developing a short list. Armbrust did not submit a response to the library’s request for qualifications, nor had relations with any of the firms who did.

Officials highlighted some firms with local ties, having extensive experience with library renovation, and ones with recent projects with similar costs and space as the Niles library.

Next Steps

After approving the recommendation to interview the five firms, the board will develop a set of questions for all of the firms they interview and rank them in order based on their qualifications. 

“You need to be consistent with the questions to get the answers,” Library Attorney Dennis Walsh advised the board. “You should end up with a list of three.”

The board must order a top three before negotiating costs with the selected firm.

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