Library expansion to begin as soon as well is capped
By Correne Martin
The beloved fountain in front of the Prairie du Chien Memorial Library may soon disappear. But patrons will be happy to know the library’s renovation project includes plans for a representative fountain among landscaping at the new entrance.
Capping the artesian well beneath the fountain essentially begins the construction process, involving the library’s new addition and revamp of its current interior space. A groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 11.
The city has contracted CTW Corporation Water Wells and Pumps, of Baraboo, to abandon the well, because it was found that the “water is flowing somewhere we don’t know,” according to Friends of the Library President Linda Munson.
“We’re fairly confident it must be going to the river, and that there must be some channel built years ago that it’s following,” she explained.
The 1860 well, which runs from a different water source than the fountain, is 980 feet deep with a pounds per square inch (PSI) pressure of 13, Munson said. It is generating 200 gallons per minute. CTW performed a detailed analysis of the water’s content and will generate a report to be released in the coming weeks.
CTW set up for the well capping project a few weeks ago, prepping the site for safety concerns, window protection and rain gutter removal. Work will also include removal of the concrete walk and trough, and excavation of the wellhead (to uncover details). A subcontractor will live tap the well casing where allowable. Once the water is under control and deemed secure, the well will be covered with pea gravel up to 300 feet and then with cement grout to the ground surface, where the addition will be constructed.
According to an Aug. 1 memo from CTW, if the well is plugged, it may have to be reopened in order to abandon it.
“They tried [to cap it last week] but weren’t successful,” Munson said. This week, work to cap it will be conducted again.
“This is why [no construction has] been done so far, because of the well,” Director Nancy Ashmore stated.
Ashmore added that while the future of the well and fountain has been the topic of concern for community members, many patrons are happy to find out that a “more attractive” representative of the fountain is going to be incorporated into the new library’s design.
An advertisement for bids for the library construction is published today and it is expected the contractor will be selected by Oct. 5. The construction includes a 7,192-square-foot single story building addition with a 4,696-square-foot basement. The addition will be attached to the existing 5,012-square-foot building with a 656-square-foot basement. Both levels of the current structure will be renovated and the entire exterior structure will feature aesthetic brick and stone.
Before the Oct. 11 groundbreaking and start of construction, preparatory site work will be done. The staging area for construction equipment will be the former Parker’s Repair/future Parker’s parking lot, behind the library lot.
“The footings, walls and roof should be up and the building enclosed before the weather changes,” Munson said. Then, work can continue inside.
The project’s date of substantial completion is July 13, 2018. The final completion is hoped to be by July 27, 2018. The timeline was delayed about three months due to complications with the well, Ashmore said.
Munson said, in February 2018, the plan is for books and furniture from the existing library to be transferred to the addition and then interior work can be done on the older part.
“We’re not anticipating having to be closed for more than a week at a time,” Ashmore noted. During the transition, there will be plans to continuously serve the public, possibly through use of city hall.
“One of our other goals with the start of construction is that we’re hoping for more donations, once people see some progress,” Munson quipped. “We have not met our total yet.”
Previous city council meetings have informed that the library expansion is a $3 million project. Nearly $1 million in funds have been secured through private contributions and grants, which is shy of the $1.5 million capital campaign goal. The city obtained $2.1 in loan financing in December 2017 for the project.
Those interested in making a financial contribution toward the library expansion, or for more information about the project or checkouts and returns during the construction, contact Ashmore at pdcdirector@swls.org or staff at pdcpubliclibrary.org or on Facebook at Prairie du Chien Memorial Library.
