Campaign for a permanent home – CDC Plans Blocked

The Friends of PAL have been actively campaigning for a permanent home for the Piedmont Avenue Branch, which for over a decade has been housed in a portable building at 80 Echo Avenue. Since 2019 our efforts have focused on the vacant building next door at 86 Echo–the former Child Development Center (CDC) which like the current branch is part of the Piedmont Avenue Elementary School grounds.

On November 13, 2024 the Directors of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD or District) – owner of the CDC site – voted to terminate the Joint Occupancy and Lease Agreement between the District and City of Oakland for the city to develop a new branch library on that site. The decision invoked an “opt-out” provision in the Agreement if the city could not guarantee construction funding by November 2024. 

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The long-term lease agreement is written for 50 years with possible renewals;  read full text. It states that no rent will be paid on the CDC until 2026 or a certificate of occupancy is issued for the library to move to the renovated building. In the meantime, the branch library will continue in the existing portable building at 80 Echo Ave. 

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Oakland’s Capital Improvement budget process evaluates potential construction projects according to multiple prioritization factors, described here. The main funding source is voter-approved bonds, from which allocations are predetermined for various departments including libraries, public works (streets, sidewalks and park facilities), etc. As of 2024 capital funds had been allocated for a Feasibility Study and preparation of plans, but not for construction.

(For more details about the Feasibility Study and previous campaign history through 2022, see below.)

Feasibility Study Progress

The City of Oakland has successfully completed the first two phases of a Feasibility Study to relocate the Piedmont Ave Branch Library to 86 Echo Ave, Oakland, CA.  The feasibility study aims to provide:

1. 1. Schematic plans that fit the needs of OPL to serve the neighborhood and school community,
   2. Cost estimates to support decision-making among design options and requests for future funding, and
   3. Suggestions for possible funding sources.

After the City selected a Design Team to develop the feasibility study in 2023, they started working together for the assessment of the existing fomer CDC building, to evaluate whether it could be repurposed and renovated into a library.

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During Phase 1, the Design Team evaluated the conditions of the existing facility to identify:

• • the extent of the structural repairs needed,
  • any hazardous materials that should be removed,
  • the condition of the exterior and interior assemblies,
  • any issues with the layout of the interior spaces,
  • the condition of the building systems, i.e. mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire alarm etc., and
  • the condition of the outdoor spaces for compliance with accessibility, safety, security, drainage, and other requirements.

This assessment was used in the next phase to develop the budgets for two options of reusing the existing facility as a branch library.

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During Phase 2, the City, the District and the Design Team evaluated the program needs and space requirements of OPL and the District.

A series of three community meetings were held between January and May 2024 in which the community was invited to reimagine their library and brainstorm ideas of what it could be like.  Based on the feedback from the first two community meetings, the Design Team developed four conceptual design approaches:

1) reusing the existing facility,
2) reusing and expanding the existing facility,
3) new library building Option A , and
4) new library building Option B .

The Design Team developed further two of these approaches into two options that were presented at the third community meeting in May 2024, leading to a final preference for building a new library facility, combining Options A and B. The estimated project cost would be $18-20 million.

[expand title=”read more about Phase 2 May 2024 meetings”]

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January 23: About 50 in-person attendees brainstormed wishes and ideas for a future branch–highlights reported to the group included:

Attendees included Library Director Jamie Turbak and other staff from OPL and OPW, and our elected District 1 representatives Sam Davis from the Board of Education and Dan Kalb from City Council.

March 13/14: HY Architects summarized their work for the Feasibility Study, beginning with analysis of the existing library portable building and the CDC site, and then listing the space requirements for the wish list expressed by the community. For discussion those wishes were translated into 4 layout possibilities:

1. 1. Remodeling the existing building without any additions – 6370 square feet; with only a small interior Community Room, no Maker Space, and some inefficiencies in library layout.
   2. Remodeling the existing building with an 850 sq. ft. addition that provides a standalone Community Room that can be used when the rest of the library is closed; also allows better room for restrooms and administrative spaces.
   3. Replacing the existing building with an all-new building of around 9,000 sq. ft; would almost double existing shelf space for books, improves flow and accessibility.
   4. An alternate layout option for a-new building, including different configuration of Children’s Room, Maker Space and Teen Area.

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Friends of PAL really appreciates everyone who took time to attend meetings or provide comments, and hosted host an in-person update from Library Director Jamie Turbak at our July 2024 meeting. 

During Phase 3, the City and the Design Team are working on developing a funding plan, with the assistance of economic consultants.

Next Steps

Getting construction funding will be a major challenge, especially since Ideally project cost estimates would be ready to propose as part of the city’s mid-cycle budget process starting in spring 2024, but it’s extremely unlikely that the budget for Capital Improvement Projects would support all costs for remodeling, and both OPL and Friends are seeking outside funding.

If the project secures enough funding, the next step would be to prepare detailed plans and specifications to be the basis for contracting and construction. Because the property will still be owned by OUSD, plans would also be reviewed by the state for compliance with school requirements.

Future updates or events about the project may be posted at https://oaklandlibrary.org/about-the-library/beautification/ 

History

1932: Piedmont Avenue Branch library moves to 100 41st Street from a previous location on Piedmont Avenue.

1971: New Piedmont “Children’s’ Center” (later renamed CDC to reflect an increased emphasis on preschool education) opens at 86 Echo Avenue.

2009-12: OPL and Friends of PAL begin searching for another branch location because of massive rent increases by the new owner of the building at 41st St. They determine the best outcome for cost and location is leasing the portable building at 80 Echo, where it can provide library access for the elementary students since the school no longer has a staff librarian.

2010: Piedmont CDC is closed due to state budget cuts to early childhood education programs

OUSD Property Information sheet for Piedmont CDC.

2019-21: Concerned by a suggestion from OUSD that the portable building lease might not be renewed in the future, Friends of PAL begins its campaign for a new home and starts looking at the former CDC building. In 2019 OUSD forms a “7-11 Committee” to evaluate possible re-uses of 5 properties including the Piedmont CDC, in a way that complies with regulations in the State Education Code. Friends of PAL conducts community surveys and rallies supporters to contact the 7-11 Committee and OUSD Board in support of a library use.

older information packet April 2021 UPDATED packet November 2024

2022: After issuing a Request for Proposals to make the CDC a library, OUSD accepts OPL’s proposal and finalizes a long-term Joint Occupancy and Lease Agreement with the City. Meanwhile, the Oakland City Council has approved Fiscal Year 22-23 funding for a feasibility study on converting the CDC to be a library.

Updated information packet for City Council

FAQs for Statements of Support November 2022 

By Arleen Feng, Secretary and member of Friends of PAL Board of Directors