Cedar Rapids library board doesn’t want to wait; new library scheduled to open in June 2013

CEDAR RAPIDS - The library board wants to start construction earlier on the city's new downtown library, not later, in hopes of getting the new facility open at the start rather than the end of the summer of 2013.

The board on Tuesday voted to begin construction on the $49-million project on Dec. 5, 2011, rather than wait until Feb. 1, 2012.

The board's project manager, Ryan Companies US Inc., had suggested that the board might realize some construction savings by waiting until February, savings that could include potential lower bids at the end of the year and the possible ability to lower costs by avoiding “winter conditions” at the start.

In opting for the early start date, Doug Elliott, the board president, said last night that the board decided that it was not possible to quantify any potential savings with a later start date.

At the same time, Elliott said the board wanted to get the project started so the new library could open on June 17, 2013, rather than face an opening date of Aug. 15, 2013, which is the projection with the February start date.

“We had a lot of compelling discussion about the cost to the community of waiting until August when the library's really prime time is from June to September,” he said.

Elliott said the board reserved the right to revisit the start date if something significant changes in the construction project before Aug. 4, the date on the construction schedule for the approval of the library construction budget.

The board re-elected Elliott as board president and Susan McDermott as vice president.