A Falcon library is coming to fruition. Paula Miller, executive director of the Pikes Peak Library District, made the announcement at the Falcon public meeting on Feb. 11.The library will be funded by a grant that was originally received for a new bookmobile, Miller said. However, budget limitations dictated that the new building will start out with 6,000 square feet, eventually expanding to 15,000 square feet.Farmers State Bank donated almost four acres of land adjacent to the bank at Meridian and Highway 24. “Without this, the project would not have been possible,” Miller said. Miller said the district reviewed 16 proposals and interviewed six architectural firms before deciding on Denver’s Humphries Poli firm. Wilhelm said the firm was chosen because 50 percent of their work involves library designs.Humphries Poli project managers Matt Wilhelm and Ryan Wallace showed slides of libraries in Castle Rock, Granby and Arvada, some of which were designed by Humphries Poli.The library features include a drive-up book drop and a pick-up location for holds, public meeting rooms and outdoor spaces. To maximize use of the 6,000 square-foot space, both Wilhelm and Wallace said the facility will be multi-functional. The libraries shown ranged from modern to rustic to traditional designs.Wilhelm said the building could be environmentally and cost-friendly. He cited natural light, geothermal heating and cooling, a green roof – use of vegetation on the roof to reduce heating and cooling costs – and a raised floor as examples of green options for the library construction. “Energy savings, carbon savings, water savings and waste cost savings are all ways we can reduce waste and save money,” Wilhelm said. He also said the design will take into consideration area residents and historic features like the bridge and trails.Falcon residents expressed their desires, which included a green building, a quiet space away from the children’s area, a place where parents can watch children independently and a display area for local artists’ work.The library’s name is up for grabs as well, and residents came up with two ideas – Eastern Plains Library and Rock Island Library.The completion date is scheduled for mid-2009, but the PPLD Foundation executive officer Delores Fowler said $500,000 is still needed to fund the construction. Fowler said the money will come from grants, fundraisers and donations. “We’ll get there,” she said.
