July was a good month for those who've battled to save the Marcel Breuer-designed library in downtown Atlanta, which was threatened with demolition by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.
Collective community outrage and countless participants voicing their opinions to the Atlanta City Council, Library Board of Trustees, and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners seemed to sway the opinion of decision-makers.
In fact, at the meeting of the commission this morning, three resolutions are to be presented. In a nutshell, these ideas could lay the groundwork for a $50-million renovation.
The Georgia AIA issued an update to its members yesterday, boiling down the resolutions on today's agenda:
- Resolution 1) declares construction and equipping of a new Central Library facility is no longer practicable or feasible.
- Resolution 2) amends the Library Master Plan to authorize renovation of the existing Central Library facility, rather than the construction of a new facility.
- Resolution 3) authorizes the issuance of bonds for implementation of Phase II of the Library Master Plan.
While popular opinion has clearly shifted the conversation to one of preservation and reuse rather than demolition, the pro-replacement contingent won’t go quietly.
An inside source contacted Curbed Atlanta regarding a potential counter-resolution that would question the legality of the proposed resolution three, instead calling for the replacement of the library — a refrain heard from former Commissioner Rob Pitts on multiple occasions.
The source indicates that the resolution is to be brought by Stephanie Moody who, until recently, served as the chairman of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Board of Trustees.
Clearly, the saga is far from over...
- Agenda for August 3, 2016 [Fulton County Board of Commissioners]
- Breuer Library News is Good for Atlanta Preservationists, Book Nerds [Curbed]
- No One Wants to Demolish Breuer’s Central Library, Allegedly [Curbed]
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