Logan officials unveil design and timetable for new city library

Groundbreaking for the new library building (pictured above) has been set for Monday, April 18 at 11:30 a.m. by city of Logan officials.

LOGAN – With submission of a final design plan for the new Logan Library, members of the Logan Library Board have announced complicated details for the implementation of that construction project.

The library design plan was unveiled at the regular meeting of the Logan City Council on Sept. 7. That design is a collaborative effort between Hacker, a design studio based in Portland, and Logan’s local Design West architects.

Their plan calls for construction of a three-story library structure oriented primarily along Main Street, stretching south from the corner of 300 North Street.

Mayor Holly Daines has previously explained that construction of the new structure on the site of the current library will contribute to ongoing downtown revitalization efforts and save an estimated $1 million in property acquisition costs.

But that decision will also require a moving the library to a temporary location during the demolition and construction process, according to associate librarian Morgan Stoker-Taylor.

The temporary location of the Logan Library will be at the Logan City Service Center at 950 West, 600 North,” Stoker-Taylor explained.

“That location does not allow for a browsing collection,” she acknowledged. “Instead, we will have a ‘pick-it-up’ curbside option for patrons to pick up items that they have previously placed on hold.

“We are also planning to do more outreach by taking our story times on the road to visit various parks during the summer months. Other outreach activities are being planned as well.”

The tentative timeline for the library project will begin in December, when the city library will close for approximately one month. The library’s collection will be packed during that period. A portion of that inventory will be placed in storage and not be available during the construction project.

In January of 2022, the library’s materials will be moved to the Logan City Service Center and a public surplus sale of excess furniture and other items will be held.

The temporary library location will open during February of 2022 and demolition of the old library structure will begin.

Construction of the new library is expected to begin in March of 2022, with the new facility expected to open in the spring or summer of 2023.

Addressing the city council members virtually, Hacker representatives explained that their vision of the new library calls for a bustling, park-like atmosphere on the structure’s ground floor, an active tone for teens and adults on the second floor and a quiet reserve on the top floor.

The Hacker architects also recommended the realignment of the parking lot shared by the Logan City Hall and the library to increase its capacity from 162 stalls to 204.

While acknowledging that plans for the library are “not quite set in stone yet,” Daines praised the direction in which those plans are developing.

City council member Jeannie Simmonds expressed similar sentiments, saying the working with Hacker representatives and a local design team has been “an absolute pleasure.”

Not all online comments from members of the pubic were quite so positive, however.

“It looks like a lovely social space,” wrote Jesse Walker after viewing the Hacker vision of the new library’s airy interior. “It was nice of them to add a few shelves for books as an afterthought.”

“I personally think that the outside of the building is too modern,” Ashley Yates Nance added online. “It just doesn’t ‘feel’ like downtown Logan.”

City officials have previously estimated the construction cost of the new library at $16 million through analysis of expenses associated with two recently constructed libraries in the communities of Kerns and Daybreak.

City Finance Director Richard Anderson has further estimated that the tax increase for the proposed library project would be $16.94 per year on the average home in Logan with a property value of $281,100.

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8 Comments

  • PPL September 9, 2021 at 2:24 pm Reply

    “I personally think that the outside of the building is too modern,” Ashley Yates Nance added online. “It just doesn’t ‘feel’ like downtown Logan.”

    looool – right now downtown Logan ‘feels’ and ‘looks’ like vacant buildings

    • S.F September 9, 2021 at 10:25 pm Reply

      I agree. Vacant buildings, standing in remote hibernation..waiting for people to finish their completion. This has always been a terrible location for the library. The fact doors don’t open on Main Street is a clear red flag. The fact one has to roll the around the corner to enter, share the parking lot with city hall, a ridiculous looking behemoth of a hotel and an outdated post office is an embarrassment to the community. The anger brings on long winded sentences. The board set up years ago…the one with the a guy who owned two…three of the four pieces of property they were looking at (and they took none of them) tells you everything about the waste of time and now money being put into this Jalopy.

      The city should have used property on the west end….particularly where they are putting low income housing. They could have built the Library, a new zoo, a park for people to socialize and still had the option to put their glorious ice rink for the winter. This would have attracted EVERYONE. A larger zoo with real animals to attract not only Cache Valley Residents but neighboring states, Idaho and Wyoming. You ice skate, you visit the zoo in the winter, social events….lights at the zoo, halloween events…etc. Some people would probably enjoy the library and then taking their children to the zoo to exert some energy. There could have even been a small bus Station that dropped people off….a bus only used for that location.

      Logan has no sense of business growth, this is why there are so many vacant buildings within downtown. The new library and ice rink will not attract people to purchase from old establishments in the area. It’s a repeat disaster. a politicians ploy to stay on office (and I am not talking about the Mayor).

      All that money being wasted on such a small plight of land with parking being limited (STILL). I mean, people really want to walk onto an open terrace and see the wall of a hotel or the Antenna for the police depart..or better yet….the dirty Burger King near way. When you rush a plan….all will come tumbling down.

      What a plan, Logan. You’ve outdone yourself again!!!

  • pablo September 10, 2021 at 7:47 am Reply

    The saddest part of this saga, from my perspective, is the failure to place the Library adjacent to Logan High School and instead allowing the construction of a multistory high density housing monstrosity on the corner of 1 west and 1 South.

  • SP September 10, 2021 at 10:16 am Reply

    That is a truly ugly building.

  • James September 10, 2021 at 3:26 pm Reply

    Interesting. I think the location and plan is the right move, but that building is hideous. It’s the opposite of timeless and classy…. Bummer that it will be right in the center of our town for years to come. Is there any chance the design will be changed?

    • Maria Mailland September 12, 2021 at 9:57 pm Reply

      First of All ! No one should allowed closing small business with the excuse of the Plandemic ! were South Logan was more affected!
      Logan is a very nice town ! But definitely many businesses needs a new look, combine with attractive and fun places to enjoy all year round!
      Bigger problem is parking! and limited parking! and not been able to park in many places!!
      So why to spend so much money in one place when you can spend the money wisely!
      And also it doesn’t have to be a three story building! When one story it is more than enough!
      No rushing to a project ! and analyzing other facts ! Will turn to a better future project! and investing the rest of the money in other projects the more people and visitors can enjoy!🙌

  • Neil Varner October 3, 2022 at 3:24 pm Reply

    When are they going to resume work on the new library in Logan?
    I have driven past there every day for weeks, and have not spotted any workers.

  • Spencer Johnson August 15, 2023 at 3:07 pm Reply

    What I’m about to say I can’t prove, but dealing with cities over the years, I’m pretty sure if not all true, the truth is pretty close.

    1st of all I noticed nobody’s saying the new building is bigger, which usually means it’s smaller and that little fact, if known by most residents, would make them very angry knowing that their taxes went up to rip down one building, just to put up a smaller building in its place.

    2nd) The Catalyst for this was likely a grant, in which allowed the people involved to strong arm the town elders, by saying; they are going to lose out on free money, which of course isn’t ultimately free both in overall inflation for our country with these Federal give-me’s and as pointed out in the article above, the local community had to also pay some of the cost for this building, a.k.a., local taxes had to go up to pay for it.

    3rd) The real reason why the town elders probably ultimately went along with literally ripping down a bigger building, just to put a smaller building in its place, is it meant they were personally going to profit handsomely from this construction job, Via their own construction company or a construction company owned by friends or family.

    So to sum up: A type of building most residents never use, like it or not, and I am personally more on the side of not, I wish more people would use a library, got ripped down, just to put a smaller one up, but at least now, you know why you’re local city councilman has a brand new pickup truck.

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