Club raising funds for new library’s roof gardens

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids Garden Club is finding the silver lining from its flooded-out conference, turning disappointment into a benefit for the community.

Incoming President Anne Stamats said the club was scheduled to be the host of a regional Garden Club of America meeting - a once-every-18-years rotating event - in 2008.

After two years of planning and with more than 100 people scheduled to attend from Wisconsin and other states, Cedar Rapids was hit with its historic flood.

“We had to call it off the day before,” Stamats said.

Instead of asking for refunds, some of the other garden clubs chose to donate their conference fees to the Cedar Rapids club.

Stamats said that planted the seed for what will become a $100,000 pledge to the Cedar Rapids Public Library's green roof educational gardens.

One of the major sources for that fund will be the club's annual plant sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at CornerHouse Gallery & Frame, 2753 First Ave. SE.

All of the plant sale proceeds will be used for the library's forthcoming green roof educational gardens.

New details will be released later this month about the library's design plans, said Katie Geiken, executive director of the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation.

The foundation will kick off its capital campaign during an event from 5 to 6:30 p.m. May 17 at Greene Square Park.

New architectural renderings and other information will be presented at that time.

Geiken, who declined to release any details about the design plans, said the event will be open to the public.

The City Council decided last year that the $25.8 million library building will be constructed at the TrueNorth site in the 400 block of Fourth Avenue SE. The total cost of the new facility will be $49.7 million, including land acquisition, contents and other components.

Green features will be included in the building, which will strive for gold or better certification with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

TrueNorth will move to the site of the flooded library.

Stamats said club members found the educational gardens to be a perfect match for their flood fund.

“It fit in our mission, which is education and beautifying our community through civic projects,” she said.

They also appreciated the teaching component of the gardens, Stamats said. Students will learn the benefits of a green roof, including reduced heating and cooling needs and limiting runoff.