New Diamond Bar Library Project Awaits Ink

Diamond Bar residents will likely have a new library by next fall as the county and city look to ink a lease agreement Tuesday.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Diamond Bar City Council will both vote Tuesday on a 40-year lease agreement that would move the Diamond Bar branch of the Los Angeles County Library to a space at 21810 Copley Drive.

The library would pay $1 annually in rent to occupy the first floor of a building that the city purchased last year for $9.9 million.

The new building would double the square footage of the current library — going from the current 9,000 square feet on Grand Avenue to around 18,000 square feet.

"It's very exciting," Library Manager Jesse Lanz said after County Supervisor Don Knabe announced a $5 million commitment to the project in April. "It's very clear that the current building is very small."

The new library, which is being designed with a ranch theme, would also expand available parking from around 35 spaces to 200.

Assistant City Manager David Doyle said that approval Tuesday would set up the library project for completion in the late summer or fall of 2012. The city is on track to move to its new offices by January of 2012.

The County seeks to provide about $4.5 million for furniture and equipment as well as reimbursement for construction management services paid for by the city. The city, which owns the building, would take on all costs for building maintenance and utilities.

Doyle said that such an agreement would offset the cost to the county of hiring one more full-time staff and three to four part-time staff members at the expanded library.

According to city staff reports, the library costs approximately $1.5 million to run annually. The city and county estimate the new library would cost an additional $200,000, of which the city will offset an estimated $100,000 by paying for building maintenance and utilities.

Children's Librarian Julie McCasland said that a new Diamond Bar Library has been discussed since she started there seven years ago and that the move would mean expanded services and resources.

"It means more books, more movies, more computers, and special computers for toddlers and pre-schoolers," McCasland said in April. "It will also mean own activity room and more space to do more things."

The Diamond Bar City Council will also vote tonight to allocate about $6.1 million for construction and building improvements to the new city hall.

More in this story:

• Knabe Announces $5 Million to Move Library Plans Forward
• New Library Design Takes Shape, Life-Sized Horse Lamp Planned
• County Approves Design Costs for New Library