ARTICLE
November 8 Election Downtown Library and Affordable Housing Needs Your No Vote on Measure O Architects are very creative, innovative, and passionate professionals who know how to make a building design come to life. Architecture is both a combination of passion and profession, it is an alchemy of form, light, space, and people. Architects take a concept to create places of inspiration for people to live, learn, work and play. The Downtown Library and Affordable housing project is: "The combination of housing, parking, and commercial uses in the same structure as the library offers a wonderful synergy that benefits the library both financially and functionally. From a functional standpoint, the adjacency of the parking will provide easy access for the public, the relationship to the housing will create a built-in community, and the combination with commercial uses will contribute to a vibrant downtown. From a budgetary standpoint, the economy of scale allows for a larger and higher quality library than would be possible if the library was an independent structure. The estimated budget of this project is approximately $42 million, significantly less than the cost of a standalone building which would be in the range of $70 million. The combination of uses into a single building offers significant value to the community” stated Abe Jayson, Principal, Founder, and Architect for the Santa Cruz Downtown Library. By training, trade, and professional certification, an architect is not a politician or lobbyist taking sides in a political debate. Sadly, the actions and words of the Our Downtown Our Future campaign folks, place a professional in the middle of this public debate. Shame on these folks for misinterpreting the professional work of the City’s contracted architecture firm, Jayson Architects. This architectural firm has designed dozens of award-winning buildings around the country, including eight libraries in our county. Over the course of several years — in fact, dating back to 2013 when Santa Cruz Public Libraries commenced a comprehensive master planning process — the city council, city staff, an advisory committee, and the community have simultaneously worked together to create the most economical, efficient state-of-the-art library for the community. At each public community meeting since 2016 after the passage of Measure S — the county-wide library bond — the same issue of renovating the downtown library would be raised as a less expensive, more economical, and efficient option. But the facts don’t support that argument — never have and never will — so the Measure O proponents continue to mislead the community. Don’t be fooled by this sleight-of-hand card shark move. In 2022, the City commissioned a comparative analysis of the costs and amenities associated with a renovation of the Downtown Library. The key differences are summarized in the table below. This and other comparable information are addressed in earlier reports by Jayson Architects as well as in the Keyser Marston Associates report requested by the community and by the City Council. The report was issued on September 23, 2022. Our local media outlets covered this report as a storyline between the proponents and opponents of Measure O. You can review the full report here: Keyer Marton Associates 9-23-2022. 2022 Comparative Downtown Library Analysis Downtown Existing Library Downtown Library & Affordable Housing Project Total Building Area (Square Foot) 30,230 38,090 Green Certification None LEED Gold Certified Area of Planting (Square Foot) 6,570 12,170 Solar Power None 270 (KW (Net Zero) Fossil Fuels Natural Gas No Reliance Library Development Cost Library Development Cost TOTAL $40.3 million $42.6 million Per Square Foot of Building Area $1,333.00 $1,118.00 I want to focus on the estimated fiscal impacts. The Chamber’s mission is the economic vitality of the Santa Cruz County community. A business person looks at the total return on investment when reviewing any business decision. The common-sense approach to that decision is based on many variable factors — entitlement costs, design, permit application & implementation, and most critically the financing of a project. The City has been actively working on securing financing for the Library Mixed-Use Project. To date, the committed sources consist of Measure S funds, a congressional earmark, Local Housing Trust Funds awarded by the State, and a sustainability grant provided by Central Coast Community Energy. The City’s development team has extensive experience developing affordable housing projects financed with a combination of funding sources. In 2023 the development team plans to apply for conventional mortgage financing and Low Income Housing Tax Credits (Tax Credits), estimated to total approximately $120 million. We are advised, the City development team will also pursue several state funding sources that are offered under one Notice of Funding Availability (Super NOFA). The proposed development scope, and the proposed income and affordability standards, were devised to maximize the project’s competitiveness for these funding sources. All of these funding opportunities would vanish if Measure O wins. Santa Cruz deserves better than letting dedicated funding be thrown away. Now let’s turn to the people — those library workers who are caught in the middle of this political exercise. The Downtown Branch Library operates as both a local branch for the City of Santa Cruz and as the supporting hub for the nine other branches in the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system. If the Downtown Branch is closed for two years, downtown residents would have to use the other two city branches or perhaps even drive to Capitola, Live Oak, or Aptos. Local schools such as Holy Cross or local organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club and Walnut Avenue Women's Center would not be within walking distance of a library during the renovation. It is not only the City of Santa Cruz residents who would be losing services. As the main repository of the county's local history collection, any researcher or family with SC ties would not have access to these records. The Downtown Branch has the main business resources, the largest collection of children's books — the largest collection of adult fiction and nonfiction. These are collections that are used by residents who use all 10 of the branches, not just Downtown. To make them accessible during the renovation the Library would have to rent space somewhere to store them in a way where library staff and the community could get to them. This is an expense NOT currently included in the cost estimates of any renovation of an outdated library building. It would be an ADDITIONAL COST. Space limitations at the other nine branches mean that these substantial collections could not be temporarily moved to existing facilities. The Library would make every effort to place the Downtown Branch staff in other locations during the closure, but there is uncertainty in that exercise. There are two meeting rooms currently in use at the Downtown Branch and they are actively used for library programs and community meetings and events. This would be a loss to City residents unless the library could manage the additional expense of renting meeting space elsewhere. The Downtown Branch is the site of a Life Skills Center. Here people can get connected to social services (for example: Encompass; Housing: Job Hunting; Health Needs) and staff from these social services actually hold office hours there because the Library is considered a neutral space. This vital resource would be suspended for two years unless there is an extra expense of renting space elsewhere. Because of these larger collections and system supportive spaces, renovating the Downtown Branch is not like renovating any of the other branches. While branches could step in to cover the closure of a smaller branch, none of the branches can step in and become the temporary hub of the system. In summary, the Downtown Library cannot be shut down or temporarily replaced for some of its services by adding funds to any renovation costs. The theory involved in Measure O is based on a pipe dream and is just a novel concept with no plan and no money. If you really care about the future of downtown and the future generations of our next generation of leaders, their families, and children — the clear Fiscal, Efficient and Environmental decision is a solid NO vote on Measure O.
November 8 Election
Downtown Library and Affordable Housing
Needs Your No Vote on Measure O
Architects are very creative, innovative, and passionate professionals who know how to make a building design come to life. Architecture is both a combination of passion and profession, it is an alchemy of form, light, space, and people. Architects take a concept to create places of inspiration for people to live, learn, work and play.
The Downtown Library and Affordable housing project is: "The combination of housing, parking, and commercial uses in the same structure as the library offers a wonderful synergy that benefits the library both financially and functionally. From a functional standpoint, the adjacency of the parking will provide easy access for the public, the relationship to the housing will create a built-in community, and the combination with commercial uses will contribute to a vibrant downtown. From a budgetary standpoint, the economy of scale allows for a larger and higher quality library than would be possible if the library was an independent structure. The estimated budget of this project is approximately $42 million, significantly less than the cost of a standalone building which would be in the range of $70 million. The combination of uses into a single building offers significant value to the community” stated Abe Jayson, Principal, Founder, and Architect for the Santa Cruz Downtown Library.
By training, trade, and professional certification, an architect is not a politician or lobbyist taking sides in a political debate. Sadly, the actions and words of the Our Downtown Our Future campaign folks, place a professional in the middle of this public debate. Shame on these folks for misinterpreting the professional work of the City’s contracted architecture firm, Jayson Architects. This architectural firm has designed dozens of award-winning buildings around the country, including eight libraries in our county.
Over the course of several years — in fact, dating back to 2013 when Santa Cruz Public Libraries commenced a comprehensive master planning process — the city council, city staff, an advisory committee, and the community have simultaneously worked together to create the most economical, efficient state-of-the-art library for the community. At each public community meeting since 2016 after the passage of Measure S — the county-wide library bond — the same issue of renovating the downtown library would be raised as a less expensive, more economical, and efficient option. But the facts don’t support that argument — never have and never will — so the Measure O proponents continue to mislead the community. Don’t be fooled by this sleight-of-hand card shark move.
In 2022, the City commissioned a comparative analysis of the costs and amenities associated with a renovation of the Downtown Library. The key differences are summarized in the table below. This and other comparable information are addressed in earlier reports by Jayson Architects as well as in the Keyser Marston Associates report requested by the community and by the City Council. The report was issued on September 23, 2022. Our local media outlets covered this report as a storyline between the proponents and opponents of Measure O. You can review the full report here: Keyer Marton Associates 9-23-2022.
2022 Comparative Downtown Library Analysis
Downtown Existing Library
Downtown Library & Affordable Housing Project
Total Building Area (Square Foot)
30,230
38,090
Green Certification
None
LEED Gold Certified
Area of Planting (Square Foot)
6,570
12,170
Solar Power
270 (KW (Net Zero)
Fossil Fuels
Natural Gas
No Reliance
Library Development Cost
TOTAL
$40.3 million
$42.6 million
Per Square Foot of Building Area
$1,333.00
$1,118.00
I want to focus on the estimated fiscal impacts. The Chamber’s mission is the economic vitality of the Santa Cruz County community. A business person looks at the total return on investment when reviewing any business decision. The common-sense approach to that decision is based on many variable factors — entitlement costs, design, permit application & implementation, and most critically the financing of a project.
The City has been actively working on securing financing for the Library Mixed-Use Project. To date, the committed sources consist of Measure S funds, a congressional earmark, Local Housing Trust Funds awarded by the State, and a sustainability grant provided by Central Coast Community Energy.
The City’s development team has extensive experience developing affordable housing projects financed with a combination of funding sources. In 2023 the development team plans to apply for conventional mortgage financing and Low Income Housing Tax Credits (Tax Credits), estimated to total approximately $120 million. We are advised, the City development team will also pursue several state funding sources that are offered under one Notice of Funding Availability (Super NOFA). The proposed development scope, and the proposed income and affordability standards, were devised to maximize the project’s competitiveness for these funding sources. All of these funding opportunities would vanish if Measure O wins. Santa Cruz deserves better than letting dedicated funding be thrown away.
Now let’s turn to the people — those library workers who are caught in the middle of this political exercise. The Downtown Branch Library operates as both a local branch for the City of Santa Cruz and as the supporting hub for the nine other branches in the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system.
If the Downtown Branch is closed for two years, downtown residents would have to use the other two city branches or perhaps even drive to Capitola, Live Oak, or Aptos. Local schools such as Holy Cross or local organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club and Walnut Avenue Women's Center would not be within walking distance of a library during the renovation.
It is not only the City of Santa Cruz residents who would be losing services. As the main repository of the county's local history collection, any researcher or family with SC ties would not have access to these records. The Downtown Branch has the main business resources, the largest collection of children's books — the largest collection of adult fiction and nonfiction. These are collections that are used by residents who use all 10 of the branches, not just Downtown. To make them accessible during the renovation the Library would have to rent space somewhere to store them in a way where library staff and the community could get to them. This is an expense NOT currently included in the cost estimates of any renovation of an outdated library building. It would be an ADDITIONAL COST.
Space limitations at the other nine branches mean that these substantial collections could not be temporarily moved to existing facilities. The Library would make every effort to place the Downtown Branch staff in other locations during the closure, but there is uncertainty in that exercise.
There are two meeting rooms currently in use at the Downtown Branch and they are actively used for library programs and community meetings and events. This would be a loss to City residents unless the library could manage the additional expense of renting meeting space elsewhere.
The Downtown Branch is the site of a Life Skills Center. Here people can get connected to social services (for example: Encompass; Housing: Job Hunting; Health Needs) and staff from these social services actually hold office hours there because the Library is considered a neutral space. This vital resource would be suspended for two years unless there is an extra expense of renting space elsewhere.
Because of these larger collections and system supportive spaces, renovating the Downtown Branch is not like renovating any of the other branches. While branches could step in to cover the closure of a smaller branch, none of the branches can step in and become the temporary hub of the system. In summary, the Downtown Library cannot be shut down or temporarily replaced for some of its services by adding funds to any renovation costs.
The theory involved in Measure O is based on a pipe dream and is just a novel concept with no plan and no money. If you really care about the future of downtown and the future generations of our next generation of leaders, their families, and children — the clear Fiscal, Efficient and Environmental decision is a solid NO vote on Measure O.