Morrison library in SouthPark poised for $8 million makeover

Wide open spaces, an upstairs portico and a small self-service cafe are on tap for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library’s third-busiest branch after an $8 million remodeling expected to start next spring.

By May 1, officials plan to close the library’s Morrison Regional branch in SouthPark for a year to make way for a massive overhaul that will create a “people-centric” hub for literacy and technology. The library likely won’t reopen until summer 2017.

The expanded library will boast more open space, a larger children’s area and new meeting rooms, library CEO Lee Keesler told residents Tuesday in a town hall organized by County Commissioner Matthew Ridenhour.

“When you walk in today, you come in the door and you’re immediately greeted by that wall,” Keesler said. “We’re going to blow that out.”

Instead when visitors walk in, they’ll be able to see the entire library through a series of glass walls and windows. A conference room will expand, the book drop will move to the other side of the building, and some parking spaces will go away – “but not too many,” Keesler said.

Guests will be able to use a second-floor outdoor portico that’s Wi-Fi accessible and will make the library a “much friendlier, brighter place, as well as larger,” he said.

Designs for the makeover have been a year in the making, with input from the county’s asset and facility management division, a contractor and a Cleveland architectural firm, Keesler said.

The library held public focus groups in January to gauge what changes residents wanted to see. The takeaway: They still valued brick-and-mortar libraries but “ want to use it differently,” said Susan Green, location manager for the Morrison branch.

“People don’t need us for books and materials,” she said. “They want to bring their devices here and connect with other people. We heard that loud and clear.”

Construction on the library branch is expected to last 12 to 18 months. The project was approved as part of a county capital plan and is being paid for using public money.

“We wish we didn’t have to close, but that’s the right decision for the overall project, and for customers,” he said.

Both Sharon Presbyterian Church and Carmel Presbyterian Church have offered space twice a week for the library’s family story time activities, which typically draw 900 to 1,000 visitors a month, Green said.

Otherwise, guests will likely migrate to the South County Regional, Myers Park and Independence branches while the Morrison one is closed.

Addressing concerns about the closure, Keesler said the library in January will expand hours at all branches by opening an hour earlier at 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday. The library’s 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday hours will stay the same at the main library, regional branches and ImaginOn.

Work on the Morrison branch is the first of four major library renovations county commissioners approved in their capital spending plan. Other libraries that will get renovations include the West Boulevard, South County and North County Regional branches.

At the town hall, Keesler also discussed other county libraries, including the Scaleybark branch in a shopping center off South Boulevard that’s eyed for development. He’s confident the library will either remain a part of the center, or find a new home close by.

“Regardless of what happens with the development of that shopping center, I think we’ll have an opportunity to stay in the immediate neighborhood,” he said.

Ridenhour, whose district includes a large chunk of south Charlotte, has held community meetings similar to Tuesday’s in the past to keep residents updated on the county’s plans for the area.

In addition to the library expansion, residents also heard about plans for more greenways and parks, as well as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ progress on a review of student assignment.

School board member Eric Davis didn’t have much news to report, aside from saying the board continues to pore over its policy and study districts in other states that have tackled similar plans.

“We’ve concluded we need better insight into parent preferences,” he said. “If we lead by any type of forced or mandatory approach, that will create the opposite reaction of what we’re trying to achieve.”

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 9:05 AM with the headline "Morrison library in SouthPark poised for $8 million makeover."