With the Limited Use Limited Application (LULA) elevator continuing to fail, the Warsaw Community Public Library is looking at renovations that could cost well above $500,000.

The renovations – which Library Director Ann Zydek said are at the very preliminary stages – could include a new elevator, circulation desk and remodeling of the library entrance and some rooms.

The elevator is used not only to transport carts of books from the book drop-off but also for people who may have some physical disabilities to get down to the lower level. The elevator to the upper level is on the lower level next to the circulation desk. There is a ramp from the east side of the library to the lower level, but some find it cumbersome to get to and use.



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The library board of directors at its Monday meeting were provided with a proposal of future renovations sketched out by Scearce Rudisel architectural firm – now SRKM Architecture – in 2006.  The drawing had some tweaks to it.

Zydek told the board that facilities manager Bruce Hively discovered the 11-year-old sketch. She said the sketch was done “back at the time when we added and made a change at the entrance. We put a little bit   more of an overhang over there and we added the steps going down.”

At that time, the library was told it could add another phase later on. “Which would be to add steps going up. ... That LULA elevator – because it’s limited access and will wear out – guess what? We’re well aware of that. ... We just had another bill for about $3,500. We found the part fortunately, but it’s going to take awhile for them to get it in.”

She said the doors for the elevator are its weakness and those doors are no longer made, so when there’s no more parts available, “we need to have another solution.”

Hively checked with SRKM to see if there was any more details on the 2006 sketch.

“They did not have this sketch available. We actually provided to them. We had it,” he said. “And it is as you see it. It is a sketch, so keep that in mind as you look at the other page with numbers on it.”

The other page from SRKM has the renovations broken into six phases with estimated costs of each phase, totaling $447,200. The page also suggests that further study of the potential project would aid in providing a more complete budget estimate, and an additional 6 to 8 percent needs to be added to construction costs to cover soft costs such as architectural design fees and state permitting.

“This is a very, very, very basic estimate. A preliminary estimate,” Hively cautioned. “When we get down to details – floor finishes, wall finishes, where you want walls, furniture, all that stuff – the numbers are going to go higher. So, this is just some idea of what kind of dollar amount we’re looking at.”

Zydek said they have to have a dollar amount before it can go out for bids on the construction work.

She noted that when the LULA is out of service, it causes hardship for people. When the Friends of the Library had its booksale, some of the volunteers had to go around to the east side of the building to use the ramp and ended up out of breath. A library board member did not attend Monday’s meeting because of no elevator access down to the lower level.

“So we are reaching that point where we seriously have to plan for (renovations). And as I’m looking at this, based on what we currently have, we would need to do some fundraising,” Zydek said, adding that they also could bond for the project.

She said at this point, it’s all very preliminary, but the project costs could very quickly get up to three-fourths of a million dollars.

“Bruce and I think two more years would be ideal, but we will see where we are with all this,” Zydek said. “All I’m saying is that this is just allowing us to get a sense if we do a bidding process, we already know we better make sure we have a certain amount of money already here. At this given point, I don’t feel comfortable doing a formal bidding process yet.”

Hively said ideally, the drawing and bidding would be completed in the spring, construction would then start and be completed by winter. He said it shouldn’t be more than a six-month project.

Board President Chris Merrill asked, “So, if the LULA dies in a month or two, what is the expectation in time we would do something about that? Is there a legal expectation? Precedence we have to follow?”

“As long as we have access to the building, which we do, with the ramp, it may not be the best access, but it is access. And as long as we make accommodations for those who can’t. I don’t know what those accommodations would include, but there’s some people who can’t use their chairs on that ramp. The ramp is just not wide enough for some of the bigger power chairs and stuff,” Joni Brookins, assistant director, responded.