Officials hunting for $1 million

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- The proposed Mariners Library needs a patron saint --

or a lot of less saintly patrons -- fast.

Officials are in a race to scrape together about $1 million as part of

a proposal to create a joint school-public library on the Mariners

Elementary School campus.

“We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the library board can find

somebody who wants a library named after them,” City Councilman Gary

Proctor said.

To take advantage of an opportunity created by Proposition 14,

officials must come up with the nearly $1 million by summer as part of

their proposal to get the remaining $2 million of the library’s cost from

the state. The proposition, which set aside about $350 million for such

joint-use projects statewide, covers 65% of the cost of qualifying

proposals.

A fund-raising group has been created that will have its first meeting

early next month, said Newport Beach Community Services Director LaDonna

Kienitz, who also serves as the city’s head librarian.

“They only have until June 14 to come up with $1 million,” Kienitz

said.

If city and school board officials can pull together the proposal in

time -- including the guarantee the $1 million will be available -- it

will ultimately create a library that is the first of its kind in Newport

Beach.

The existing Mariners branch of the public library will be razed, as

will the school library for Mariners Elementary. To replace them both, a

new library will be built on the southeast corner of school’s campus and

will serve residents, as well as students at the school.

The Mariners branch library has long been in need of upgrades,

officials say. Because of its proximity to the school, officials say it

represents the perfect opportunity to take advantage of Proposition 14.

The City Council, at its last meeting in 2000, put the project on a

fast track by approving a $94,700 contract with Thirtieth Street

Architects Inc. to design the library. Two community meetings have

already been held to gather suggestions from the public, and more are

planned, Kienitz said, though no dates are set yet. Plans now call for a

12,500-square-foot facility with expanded collections and

state-of-the-art technology.

“Everyone agrees that upgrading the library’s facilities is high on

our wish list,” Proctor said. “This is a window of opportunity to get

some state funding to pay for it. So we need to seize that opportunity

because another one might not come around again.”

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .