Eco-friendly library to open in February

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said the library will open in February 2013. It will begin moving back into the expanded site in February and open in March. The story has been updated to reflect this change.

Chapel Hill is well on its way to having a renovated eco-friendly library.

Scott Cutler, vice president of Clancy & Theys Construction Company, the company responsible for the library’s construction, said the expansion of the Chapel Hill Public Library is going well with no major hiccups.

The $16.23 million expansion project is expected to open to the public in March 2013.

Mark Bayles, interim director of the library, said the project is on budget and on time.

The project will add 35,500 square feet to the library’s original space of 27,000 square feet.

Not only will the expansion create more space, but it will also make the library greener.

Cutler said the new building will be LEED certified.

The different levels of LEED certification depend on the environmental friendliness of a building.

Developers will not know the library’s level of certification until the project is done.

The new building will have solar panels to provide hot water and reflective roofing to help control the building’s temperature.

At least 75 percent of the construction material will be recycled, but Clancy & Theys is working toward 95 percent.

In keeping with the environmental nature of the project, the expansion will also include an art garden.

Cutler said while awareness of green issues has been rapidly increasing in the construction industry, it was up to the Chapel Hill Town Council to decide how much money to contribute toward energy efficiency.

He praised the council for its commitment to creating a green space and its support of the attempts to recycle building material.

During construction, the library has moved to a temporary location at University Mall on South Estes Drive.

Bayles said the move has not impacted use of the library.

“Circulation is roughly equal to the statistic that we had in our previous full year of operation in our older building,” he said.

While use of the library has remained consistent, some visitors complain of less space and a smaller selection in the temporary library.

David Diaz, a resident of Chapel Hill, said the temporary library is noisier and there seemed to be fewer places to sit down.

Despite these difficulties, Chapel Hill resident Richard Osha commended the library for its temporary facilities, which include public computers and a program room.

“They have done a wonderful job setting this up as a good alternative,” Osha said.

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