West Gate Prepares For Move

Posted Jan 18, 2007 by Jessica Balanza

Updated Jan 18, 2007 at 02:04 PM

By SHERRI LONON

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As Hillsborough County officials seek out temporary quarters for the West Gate Regional Library, operations will continue at the current site.

The library will soon have to move into a different location while the current building at 7606 Paula Drive is demolished to make way for the new $10.8 million town center for Town ‘N Country. The center’s entire second story, along with a portion of the first, will become the library’s permanent home once construction is completed. The rest of the new building will house a senior center and a Head Start program.

Although a location for the temporary library has yet to be announced, the county is assuring library patrons a site that will offer full library services, including programs and meeting space, will be found. In the meantime, programs and operations will continue at the Paula Drive facility.

Since neither a date for the move nor a location have been finalized, the library is restricting announcements on upcoming events to a bulletin board inside the building.
Events will continue as long as possible in the current facility and will move along with the facility, said Suzy George, library manager.

In the meantime, some work is beginning that will help make the move easier, said Gene Ann Kennedy, president of the Friends of the West Gate Regional Library. The nonprofit group will host three upcoming “clearance sales” to help weed out not only its collection of books that are sold during fundraisers, but also books from the library’s collection itself, Kennedy said.

“We will be helping with the weeding (of books), with the move and some of the decisions (in the future),” Kennedy said. “We’ll be very, very involved (with the new facility).
What a wonderful time for new members to come in.”

The book sales are set for Jan. 20, Jan. 27 and Feb. 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the library. Most books will be half the price they are at typical friends group sales with no book running more than $5, she said.

And, as the friends group assists with lessening the load for movers, time is starting to run out on finding a new home. Construction on the new facility is slated to begin in mid-March, which means the library needs to be out soon.

“We’re hoping to be out by March 15,” George said.

George stressed that the library will remain open for business at its current site until the move and that a new location will be announced as soon as it’s approved.

The new town center is being being funded by the half-cent Community Investment Tax and grants, said Israel Grajales, senior architect for the county.

Membership in the friends group is $5 a year for an individual or $10 a year for a family. Members help fund extras at the library the county’s budget cannot pay for. This includes the purchase of specialized furniture, paying for programs, summer activities for children and so on. Membership is available at the library, and Kennedy promises it will be an interesting time for members.

“We will be busier in the next two years than in previous years,” she said. “We welcome new members.”

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