After two years of construction and many years of planning, the City of West Hollywood is nearing completion of Phase I of the West Hollywood Park Master Plan which includes the building of the highly-anticipated new West Hollywood Library located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Phase I of the West Hollywood Park Master Plan is one of the major components of the City’s 25th Anniversary Capital Project which also includes development of the West Hollywood City Hall Automated Garage and Community Plaza Project and implementation of the Plummer Park Master Plan.

The City of West Hollywood will host the Dedication and Grand Opening of the new West Hollywood Library on Saturday, October 1, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the new West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

“The West Hollywood Library dream is almost a reality,” said West Hollywood Mayor John J. Duran. “The library, a first-class learning and community center for all generations, will provide amazing opportunities to continue building community in West Hollywood; this has been accomplished thanks to the tireless efforts of many committed people in our community,” continued Mayor Duran.

Phase I of the West Hollywood Park Master Plan which includes the new West Hollywood Library, City Council Chambers and public meeting rooms, CATV facilities, 2.5 acres of expanded parkland and open space, new tennis courts, and 400 parking spaces in two municipal garages will be completed this fall. The City Council Chambers, which will accommodate more than 150 people, will also be used for special performances and presentations.

"Since its initial conception I have always been excited about a new state-of-the-art library facility for the City of West Hollywood, but it wasn't until a recent hard-hat tour of the construction site that my excitement soared. This new facility is much more than just a library," said Mayor Pro Tempore Jeffrey Prang. "It is more of a civic center, providing much-needed meeting space for City Council meetings, public lectures and performances, improved collections and resources, expanded green space, and more. Much more," added Mayor Pro Tempore Prang.

The new 32,000 square foot, LEED-certified West Hollywood Library will serve as the centerpiece of the West Hollywood community. It is designed to showcase the City’s rich intellectual, literary and cultural diversity and provide a landmark facility for the community’s passionate commitment to lifelong learning. The Community Dedication and the Grand Opening of the new West Hollywood Library will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011.

“It is my belief that this new facility will engage the best of us. All minds and matters are surely welcome here,” said West Hollywood Councilmember John D’Amico.

Building a new library has been a priority of the West Hollywood community since the first General Plan was adopted in 1988. (The current West Hollywood Library is housed in an aging and outgrown building that was built in 1960.)

“I am very excited about the opening of the new West Hollywood Library,” said West Hollywood Councilmember John Heilman. “It is not only a beautiful building but it will serve as a center for our community. It has special areas and special collections to serve our diverse community. I'm proud to have been a champion of this project,” continued Councilmember Heilman.

“We are thrilled to prepare to open our new West Hollywood Library,” said West Hollywood Councilmember Abbe Land. “Not only will it be a beautiful facility for our entire community, but a sustainable one as well, and will be certified LEED Silver upon its completion. This is a place where people of all ages can come to engage, learn and connect - it is about community. Through our special collections, creative programming and commitment to excellence in all facets, this is truly going to be a library like no other!” continued Councilmember Land.

The new West Hollywood Library, which will continue to be operated by the County of Los Angeles Library, includes: 

• An LGBT area 
• HIV/AIDS Collection 
• Stuart Feigin Computer and Technology areas 
• Wells Fargo Career Development Center 
• Children’s Theatre/Children’s Area 
• Teen Area 
• Art and Design Collection 
• West Hollywood Room and Archive 
• Friends of the Library Bookstore

The New West Hollywood Library will hold more than 150,000 volumes as well as magazines, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and special collections that spotlight West Hollywood’s vibrant diversity and will feature an International Languages Collection; and a collection of large-print materials for Seniors and people who are visually-impaired.

LGBT Area
The one-of-a-kind LGBT area will be one of the largest publicly accessible, circulating collections and will feature an extensive collection of literature, history and personal materials. The current Lesbian and Gay Collection of 4,050 books will grow significantly and the increased space will provide an opportunity for the acquisition of other prominent LGBT collections.

HIV/AIDS Collection
The new West Hollywood Library will have an expanded Ron Shipton HIV Information Center with the most up-to-date educational materials on HIV and AIDS made accessible in a private setting.

Stuart Feigin Computer and Technology Areas
The new West Hollywood technology center will include 16 computers and free internet access, providing a link to the global society for all library users. There will also be Internet Express Stations and technology dedicated to preschoolers, school age children, teens, and accessible assistive technology for people with disabilities. There will be a total of 47 computers with internet access located throughout the library. Free internet is available for all visitors to use with their own personal devices. A video conferencing room will provide live connections to conferences around the world for library users and staff. The City’s CATV broadcast and production facilities will also be housed in the building.

Wells Fargo Career Development Center                                                                        

The Wells Fargo Career Development Center will be operated by the expert career services staff of JVS Los Angeles. JVS has been partnering with the City of West Hollywood for nearly two decades, assisting both job seekers and local businesses by developing the skills of the current and future workforce. The Wells Fargo Career Development Center will house the JVS/WHEST Program (West Hollywood Employment Services & Training), providing free job search and placement assistance, referrals to training programs and other services, access to employer recruitments and job fairs as well as interview and resume workshops. The Center will offer area employers free job postings and Cable TV announcements for open positions as well as access to JVS’ online bank of motivated candidates. Equipped with computers, printers, copiers, fax machines and extensive resource materials, the Wells Fargo Career Development Center will be a full-service launch pad for entry or re-entry into the workforce.                                                                               

Children’s Library/Children’s Theatre
The new West Hollywood Library includes a Children’s Library to inspire children to read. A Children’s Theatre, with elements right out of a storybook for the youngest library users to enjoy, is one of the highlights of the new library design. Imagine a unique theater-within-a-library for storytelling, puppet shows, displays and plenty of library fun where entire families will be able to participate together.

Teen Area
The library will feature a special area for teens to have access to first-rate educational resources to develop the skills needed to succeed. The unique setting will provide a quiet and relaxing place to read, hold group study sessions, lounge and hang-out after school.

West Hollywood Room and Archive
The West Hollywood Room and Archive will include a special collection that serves as a repository of the community’s collective memory. Materials will include published and unpublished books, archives and historical collections that tell the story of the City’s evolution from 1984 to the present. Reference materials will include books, audio and video materials about the history of the City of West Hollywood including: 

• Personal papers of Ron Stone, Chairman of the West Hollywood Incorporation Committee in 1983-84, and a leading advocate of the incorporation of the City of West Hollywood and LGBT rights
• Information about the West Hollywood Incorporation Committee and the founding of the City of West Hollywood 
• Information about Edward H. Fickett, nationally-recognized architect, who designed the original West Hollywood Library building which was built in 1960 
• City ordinances and copies of the General Plan 
• Recordings of City Council and commission meetings

The West Hollywood Room will be available as a conference room, a research room and a space for board meetings.

Friends of the West Hollywood Library Bookstore
The Friends of the West Hollywood, a non-profit organization which provides volunteer support to the library, will offer books and other unique literary items for sale.

“Certified” Green Building
The new West Hollywood Library will be a landmark public facility designed to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating and be a certified “Green Building.” Green sustainable features include a photovoltaic system (solar power technology that uses solar cells to convert energy from the sun into electricity); low-emitting materials for paints, coating and carpeting; optimized-energy performance systems for lighting, heating and ventilation; sustainable vegetation; and the use of Green housekeeping products.

West Hollywood Library – Public Art
The new West Hollywood Library will feature two major art installations from renowned artists David Wiseman and Shepard Fairey. The work by David Wiseman which will be located in the interior of the library, will be decorative in nature and reflect the relationship between the New West Hollywood Library and West Hollywood Park. Utilizing plaster, bronze, and porcelain, a series of branches will emerge from the walls and arch into the air space above the stairway, providing a link between the park that surrounds it and the library itself.

The Shepard Fairey mural will provide a deeper contextual link between the library and the community it serves. The artist, although working in a classic mural style, is known for the layering of images creating a deeply dimensional “portrait” of West Hollywood that will reflect historical and architectural elements of the City. This work will provide a historically-significant and community-based project that is not unlike a contemporary version of the highly-regarded Works Progress Administration (WPA) murals completed in the 1930’s in public buildings throughout the United States.

Artists Shepard Fairey, Retna and Kenny Scharf bring art to the streets of West Hollywood. The three public murals displayed on the exterior walls of the new West Hollywood Library are the fruits of an innovative collaberation between Vanity Fair and Cadillac in partnership with The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), and the City of West Hollywood. Underwritten by Cadillac, the project, known as "The West Hollywood Library Murals," features work from three of the biggest names working in the visual arts today: Shepard Fairey, Retna (a.k.a. Marquis Lewis), and Kenny Scharf. The official unveiling is slated for October 12, 2011.

Project Team
The West Hollywood Park Master Plan including the new West Hollywood Library was designed by architects Steve Johnson and Jim Favaro. They are the principals of Johnson Favaro, an architectural and urban design firm located in Culver City. The construction manager is Heery International. Dan Adams, a Senior Associate at Heery, is the Project Director. Adams is also a resident of West Hollywood. The General Contractor is W.E. O’Neil Construction Company. 

City Project Team
The City Project Team is led by Paul Arevalo, City Manager, and Joan English, Assistant City Manager; and includes Jeff Huffer, Economic Development Manager; Sam Baxter, Human Services Director; and Oscar Delgado, Public Works Director.

Project Costs
The total cost to complete Phase I of the West Hollywood Park Master Plan is $64 million. The West Hollywood Library Fund, a non profit organization led by a volunteer board of community leaders, seeks to raise $10 million from individuals, corporations and foundations in support of the new West Hollywood Library and implementation of Phase I of the West Hollywood Park Master Plan. The campaign, LibraryPark, has raised nearly $7 million in donations to date.

For more information, regarding Phase I of the West Hollywood Park Master Plan and the new West Hollywood Library, please contact Chris Worland, 25th Anniversary Capital Project Community Liaison, at (323) 848-6511. For more information regarding the 25th Anniversary Capital Project, please visit www.weho.org/capitalproject