Making Way for the Library?
As many of you may have noticed, the big red brick building next to the Thai Derm/Roger Miller complex has been pretty much leveled, and I’m assuming this is to make way for the new Silver Spring Library. Odd thing, though – I didn’t hear much uproar about leveling an ‘historic’ structure. Perhaps books trump it. I know my wife (the good Dr. J) would agree.
I’ve also heard there’s a bit of a spat rising up about the actual footprint of the library. Something about it being smaller than originally proposed? There was a meeting Tuesday night, and I’m not sure what the outcome was, so if anyone has any intel, please feel free to comment.
In the meantime, I would recommend that you not walk behind a building as it’s being demolished. Unbeknownst to me, the beige building next door was being crushed as I came up behind it to capture this photo:
That man in the yellow vest was at the fence to see if anyone was walking up the alley. I wondered why all the crashing noises stopped as I approached. The crane operator was none too happy, and it took me a moment to realize that the building could have collapsed in my direction. Oops.
Note to self…
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I didn’t even realize they were going to demolish those apartments. They’ve been empty, what, 10 years? I bet they were purposefully secretive about their plans.
So that’s where the new library will be? For some reason I thought they wanted to put it where the old Golden House restaurant is.
Does anyone know what’s going to happen to the present location of the library, which happens to be down the street from me? There’s a nice playground there, and we yokels would hate to see that get torn away for an apartment building, halfway house, prison, new RNC headquarters, etc.
As I understand it, the grounds will extend around to where Golden House is, including the buildings around the NW corner of Bonifant & Fenton. But that’s one of the things I’m not sure about, given the recent news about a potential change in plans.
And I’m not sure what is going in at the current location. You’d have more community backlash over the RNC going in than The Fillmore going in on Colesville, I would think.
The Silver Spring Historical Society had expressed its desire over the last few years to county officials to incorporate the demolished 1937 Bonifant Court Apartments into the planned mixed-use library/residential project as moderately priced housing…but to no avail.
RNC? How ’bout the NRA branch office complete with shooting range? We’ve got a gun store but nowhere good to shoot em excepting outside.
I was a little sad to see the apartment building on Bonifant be demolished. Unlike the late Thayer Avenue bungalows, which were an example of obsolete land uses, the apartment building fit nicely into the surrounding streetscape. That said, the building had been vacant forever and there really should be greater residential density at this corner. I’m really looking forward to the library and think it is good that there will be a housing and office component–now can someone produce some renderings of the project?
Here’s the best you’re going to get right now on the renderings:
Click here for rendering
The whole design is up in the air right now. The final plan will all depend on the final alignment for the Purple Line–one option has it truncating the site at the corner of Wayne & Fenton.
Library Lover, does that rendering purport to show the proposed library on Bonifant St.? If so, that’s an amazing wide sidewalk. I love the idea of it, but can it be done without making Bonifant a pedestrians-only street?
So you’re saying that the library project has to await a final decision on the Purple Line? Oh God. I fear by the time this thing gets built I’ll be flying over it in my helicar.
Now David, the only reason that building “fit nicely into the surrounding streetscape” is because the buildings next two it are just as crappy!
I can’t say for sure what it purports. And I actualy owe credit to the Dan from Just Up The Pike…that’s where I got the rendering from. Maybe he can chime in and tell us what he knows.
I like the idea of making Bonifant a pedestrians-only thoroughfare. Would probably make it much less sinister.
And I agree with Easley Does It: if we have to wait for the Purple Line, my daughter will already be in college by the time it’s open.
Let’s start at the top.
The demolition was not secretive. There was a 30 day notice posted on the County’s webpage and the adjacent property owners were notified.
The new Library Site includes every thing on the end of the block to Fenton Street and on Wayne to the Moose Lodge.
A decision on what to do with the existing library site won’t be made by the County until it is time for the Library to move in a couple of years.
The discussion on the size of the Library was brought up at a County Council hearing on Tuesday night not because it has been reduced, but because some new information from Park and Planning may indicate that the plans for the Library need to be expanded to meet community needs.
The County intends to move forward with the library project once all of the property is acquired. The library can be designed around a potential station on the Purple Line. The illustration was done by an architect for the Maryland Transit Administration and is not any indication of what the Library may or may not look like.
This is a high priority project for the County Executive.
This is spectacular! I think this is the first time we’ve had Mr. Stith join us – am I correct? Thanks very much for your explanations.
A few questions:
1. “…once all the property is acquired.” What property has yet to be acquired, and how will that happen?
2. I know you said a decision won’t be made for a while, but have there been any indications as to the potential for future use of the old library?
3. Is there any ETA (albeit very speculative) on completion?
And thanks for the high priority from the CoEx. My daughter is running through books like nobody’s business.
There are three parcels remaining to be acquired. The County is negotiating with the property owners.
There has been no discussions by the County about the reuse of the existing Library site. The process, once the Library is ready to move, is to review any public purposes for the site. If there are none, the County can surplus the property. The property is zoned R-60 single family residential.
The Library could be completed in 2010. But don’t hold me to that at this point.
I’m with Eric, this is very good news. I thought we were going to have to wait for the Purple Line(which I want very badly, but I don’t expect in my lifetime). The library on Colesville is too small for me. I hit it about twice a week, and I need a long “wish list” to find anything.
Any info on the Moose Lodge? They seem to be staying as new construction moves in around them.
The Moose Lodge will be razed. They are relocating to the 500 block of Sligo Avenue.
ouch that would ahve hurt.
However that would have made a big news on thayeravenue.com if the building did fell on you. imagine all the visitors you would have gotten hahahhaa good thing it did not happen.
Hey Jerry, who would I talk to about taking the front door and lights from The Moose Lodge house once it is ready for demolition?
I have a 1920′s house myself and these would look great in it.
Confused about something… if all those buildings are being emptied and cleared for the future library, why is there a For Lease sign on the vacant auto repair place next to the Moose Lodge?
Woodsider,
Actually the Silver Spring Historical Society has already requested these items for our “Doors of Silver Spring” collection. Currently we have doors from the 1938 Silver Theatre, the 1946 Canada Dry bottling plant, and the 1948 Tastee Diner. We hope to have them placed on permanent display somewhere. Maybe the new library?
Weren’t the Silver Theater doors supposed to be reinstalled when the place reoppened? I realize they were not, but wasn’t that the whole point of the ADSW saving them all those years ago?
It would be wonderful if the collection you’ve gathered could find a new life as doors in a new structure somewhere — albeit interior to spare them from the elements.
Hello Neighbors,
The current location and design of the library is flawed. No adequate parking for it. Also, the proposed lot is to constraint!
A better location would be over parking lot 29 at Bonifant St.,(County already owns it.) because the grade angle of the current parking lot is advantageous
for underground parking. The library should be built vertical, say four or five levels. Having a meeting place on the top floor over looking the neighborhood.
Something like the new Seattle library in downtown.
A better imagination for the leveled site would be adding residential homes with commercial restuarant/ stores on the first floor. Georgetown feel and look.
What say you?