The Redwood
Shores Community Association would like to thank the City Council,
the project team and our friends and neighbors for their support
of a library in Redwood Shores. On Tuesday, October 28, 2003,
the State Office of Library Construction awarded Redwood City
a $15.5 million grant to help build a new branch library in Redwood
Shores. RSCA is pleased to be a proactive advocate and supporter
of a library in the Shores and we look forward to a continued
partnership with the City as this project moves forward.
San Mateo
County Times, October 29,2003
Suzanne Zalev, Staff
This city won while two other local cities lost in the state’s
multi-million dollar library giveaway.
The State Office f Library Construction decided to award Redwood
City a $15.5 million grant on Tuesday to build a new branch library
in Redwood Shores, a neighborhood that is not geographically connected
to the rest of the city.
“I feel really honored that we were selected,” said
Councilwoman Barbara Pierce, who is the council liaison to the
library project. “It is not every day that you get $15 million.”
While Redwood City got good news at Tuesday’s library board
meeting, the two other County cities that applied for grants –
Half Moon Bay and Daly City – were rejected. Half Moon Bay
had applied for $12.1 million to build a new and larger library,
while Daly City had requested $5 million to renovate the Serramonte
Main Library.
Redwood City and 12 other proposals were ranked “outstanding”
while Half Moon Bay was ranked “very good” and Daly
City’s was rated “adequate”. There were about
65 proposals from around the state.
Redwood City’s proposal better responded to the needs of
residents that the other two, evaluators determined, and had a
better plan to integrate technology and a more appropriate site.
The new Redwood Shores library – estimated to cost $16.96
million and open in 2007-08 or later – will also include
meeting rooms and other community space.
Pierce said she thinks this is critical, especially having a place
for children to get help with homework.
“That has been really lacking,” she said. “They’ve
had to cross the freeway to go to any other library.”
Finding the money for the required match isn’t a problem
for the city, which already has $2.99 million in general improvement
district funds, plus the land, valued at $3.86 million. But when
the city applied for the grant, staff warned that finding money
to operate the new library could be an issue.
Pierce said this morning that she’s optimistic.
“It was one of the things that was a priority for us, so
I think that we’re going to have to be really creative about
this," she said. “Just getting the grant was a tremendous
hurdle, so now we’re on to the next.”
The nest step will be the design phase, Pierce said.
Officials for Daly City and Half Moon Bay could not be reached
for comment.
