Public artwork installation begins at library  (July 15, 2009) Work crews on July 15, 2009 lowered through the roof of the library the bookshelf frame for the new public artwork created by Christian Moeller (for details about the artwork and an artist's rendering, see below).
	Artist Christian Moeller Internationally renowned artist to create public artwork for library The City has awarded a $200,000 commission to artist Christian Moeller to create a signature public artwork for the new library. A panel of appointed professional and community leaders this spring chose Moeller from a field of 30 artists. Moeller is internationally recognized artist for works considered to be innovative, dynamic, and elegant. Born in Germany and educated as an architect, Moeller practiced architecture and founded his own office and media laboratory in Frankfurt where he also taught. In 2001, Moeller joined the senior faculty at UCLA in the Department of Design and Media Arts and established his art studio in Hollywood. Moeller will collaborate with the library design team of Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc. and landscape architects, Royston, Hanamoto, Alley, and Abey to create a work that will be an integral part of the overall library experience for years to come. For further information on the public art program for the Walnut Creek Library and Public Art Program contact Robyn Burror, Walnut Creek Public Art Coordinator, at 925-295-1447, or email her at burror@bedfordgallery.org
	Final beam placed on library during "topping out" ceremony (March 4, 2009) Construction crews placed the final steel beam on the 42,000-square-foot library during a "Topping Out" ceremony on March 4, 2009 attended by over 100 onlookers.
Demolition of the Walnut Creek Library on Feb. 26, 2008
Council awards library construction contract (April 15, 2008) City officials expressed delight when four bids for building the new downtown library turned out to be lower than the preliminary cost estimate for the project. Four bids were submitted and opened on March 18: West Bay Builders, $25,692,000; Flintco Constructive Solutions, $25,997,000; SJ Amoroso Construction Co., $26,910,000; and Sausal Corp., $30,637,402. The City’s construction management team of Group 4 architects and Gilbane Development Co. had estimated it would cost $30,800,000 to build the 42,000-square-foot library and 121-space underground parking garage. Mayor Gwen Regalia and other members of the Council were present at the bid opening and were clearly pleased with the low bids. "It was nice to finally know what this project will cost," said Regalia, adding that "it was gratifying that the three lowest bids were all in the same range, as it underscores the true cost of building the library at this time. We now look forward to awarding the contract and breaking ground on this important community project." The City Council on April 15 awarded the library and parking garage construction bid to West Bay Builders and agreed to reduce the project budget from $46 million to $42 million. In addition, the Walnut Creek Library Foundation announced that they have raised $4.2 million toward the capital construction and will meet the $5 million goal promised to the City. They added that they have strong prospects for additional funds and expect the total contribution to be closer to $7.5 million. The $4.2 million has come from the Lesher Foundation, John Muir Health, Thomas J. Long Foundation, J.M. Long Foundation as well as other groups and individuals and includes more than $1 million raised with 100% participation from the Foundation's Board of Directors, City Council members, and Senior Staff. A public groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Monday, May 19 at 4 p.m. at the project site on North Broaday. The new library is scheduled to open in late spring 2010. The new library will include larger reading areas for children, teens, and adults, as well as several study rooms, a business and career resource center, an education and conference center, a café, and a small bookshop for the Friends of the Library. Old Walnut Creek Library razed (February 26, 2008) Wreckers demolished the 47-year-old Walnut Creek Library on February 26 to make way for the new downtown library that will begin construction in May. For pictures of the demolition, click here. For a video of the demolition, click here. A public groundbreaking ceremony is being planned for mid-May. Construction of the new, 42,000-square-foot library and underground parking garage will be completed in mid-2010. To view the video of the April 15, 2008 City Council meeting, click here.
	City Council takes action to keep new library on schedule  (June 5, 2007) At its meeting on June 5, the City Council took several actions that will keep the new Walnut Creek Library construction on track for a spring 2010 opening. The Council, after listening to public testimony: - Directed staff and architects to proceed with the development of construction documents - Accepted the project schedule, which calls for the demolition of the existing library in January 2008 and the opening of the new library in April 2010 - Adopted a resolution approving an addendum to the Walnut Creek Downtown Library and Civic Park Master Plan - Authorized the City Manager to execute a contract with Gilbane Building Company to manage the construction project at a cost of $1,475,610 - Adopted a draft Walnut Creek Library Naming Policy - Approved a staff recommendation to increase the project budget from $43.5 million to $46 million to incorporate the costs of technology ($1.2 million), opening day collection ($250,000), and LEED certification ($248,000) - Formally directed staff to explore the reauthorization of a parcel tax to support library operations, including exploring the concept of expanding the area included in the tax district to include unincorporated areas of Walnut Creek. The staff report for the June 5 City Council meeting can be found by clicking here. The City will break ground on the project in April 2008 and open the new library in spring 2010. A temporary library will be set up in the City's Park Place building at the corner of Civic Drive and North Broadway later in 2007. The existing library will be razed following the closure of next year's Walnut Creek on Ice activity. Latest architectural drawings and interior designs
For more information, please contact Lorie Tinfow at tinfow@walnut-creek.org or (925) 943-5810. Visit the Walnut Creek Library Foundation's website by clicking here.