GLENDALE, Ariz — The Glendale City Council has come to a consensus to demolish a beloved library in historic downtown and relocate it to another nearby building.
The Velma Teague Library has been in its current building in Murphy Park since 1971. The park itself has been home to a library for 107 years.
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The council reached a consensus about plans for the library following a workshop on Tuesday.
At the workshop, Jean Moreno, community services director, discussed all the options weighed for the future of the library as it currently functions.
Moreno said a study was conducted to look into options for updating the library and possible plans to modernize the library.
The standing structure needs multiple renovations and repairs including asbestos remediation, a completely new air conditioning system, replacement electrical systems and outdated plumbing.
In addition to the infrastructure issues, the library needs updates for more functionality and modern features.
The study found that patrons weren't using the library due to the lack of updates and instead were going to other libraries in the outlying community.
The library needs a complete redo with an open layout with more visibility, officials said. It also needs study rooms and quiet spaces, a larger less cluttered community room for library programs, and shelving structures for books need to be replaced among other issues.
Options weighed in the study included renovating in place, redesigning the building, moving it to the edge of the park on the north side and finally moving the library to a nearby retail space with a parking garage above it that the city owns. It was determined that last option, a move to a city-owned structure at Palmaire and 58th avenues, would be the best.
Hours after the workshop wrapped up, the community came out to a city council meeting to voice their concerns with plans to demolish the library.
Some of the speakers were concerned about the legacy of the library and its namesake, Velma Teague.
Others are concerned about the library no longer being in the park.
One speaker was concerned about accessibility for those with disabilities with the new location utilizing a parking garage.
Many people were dismayed that they were not allowed to voice their concerns before a vote about the possibility of demolishing the library took place.
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