The Carnegie Library of Homestead at last has an elevator in the historic, French Renaissance-style building.
Patrons now can navigate the 112-year-old Munhall building from the library area or Music Hall to the Athletic Club or to a future coffee shop without using steps.
Dan Lloyd said the library board has wanted to install an elevator since it acquired the building from U.S. Steel in 1988.
“It has always been that we don’t have the money for an elevator,” Lloyd, the library board president, said.
Installation of the elevator, completed earlier this month, was funded by a $150,000 federal Community Development Block Grant funneled through Allegheny County.
“That didn’t pay for the whole elevator,” Lloyd said. “We had some other grant money to fund soft costs and costs that weren’t funded by CDBG.”
He said the insight of the library’s consulting director of building operations Matthew Szanca helped to save the library a lot of money on utilities that could be put toward the elevator. Szanca noted that library athletic director Edward Child has had a large hand in cutting the water bill.
Lloyd said there are patrons who want to use the library’s athletic club, but can’t climb steps.
“There are people who want to use our Silver Sneakers room (but) can’t do steps because they have bad knees, but they can spin or they can work out on their upper body,” he said. “They could have emphysema or a lung disorder, like my father, who had to take Silver Sneakers at another location because, by the time he got up the steps, he was ready to go home.”
Szanca said the elevator is in Phase A, now going only from the first to the second floor. He said Phase B, which is awaiting funding, will allow the elevator to access the basement, swimming pool and other community rooms.
Lloyd said the idea for a coffee shop has been discussed since he became a library board member in 2004. He said he would visit Barnes & Noble at the Waterfront and note the nice atmosphere a coffee shop added to the business.
Lloyd said a committee was formed to bring a coffee shop to the library. After members toured other libraries, the committee recommended finding a corporate partner, and estimated the cost for the project would be $100,000.
Lloyd said he knew it wouldn’t be that expensive, and told the library board it would only cost approximately $20,000.
Even with an all-volunteer workforce, he said, the library didn’t have enough money to build the coffee shop. Lloyd’s aunt Betty Jane Lloyd donated $10,000 to complete the coffee shop.
“She wanted to see it finished,” Lloyd said.
The retro-designed room will be named Aunt B’s Coffee Shop.
Lloyd said the space where the coffee shop will be located was an old storage area with a wooden partition, which was removed.
“This building was designed by Alden & Harlow,” he said. “Alden & Harlow designed the Duquesne Club and I think designed the courthouse downtown. They are famous architects. Their vision was to have these windows illuminate this whole area when you came up the steps. The partition wall took away that whole idea that the architects had.”
Lloyd and Szanca said many people volunteered their services to create the room for free, including George Edwards painting the coffee shop, Bob DeLu aiding in construction, Robert Howell donating
light fixtures, and LeRoy Pettis contributed his art.
Work was started in December 2009, but wasn’t continuous because it was volunteer work done mostly by Lloyd and Szanca.
Library board member Susan Wonsock designed the room.
It eventually will contain vending machines and tables. Gourmet coffee might be sold during Music Hall concerts or other events.
“You can bring a magazine up here, sit down and read,” Lloyd said. “People who come in for Silver Sneakers can gather here after. We want to make it a meeting place.”
“This would be perfect for a small group of seniors to meet,” Szanca said.
A grand opening for the coffee shop is planned for March. It will coincide with the grand opening of a new welcome center and teen space at the library.
“The best thing that happened to the valley is Andrew Carnegie,” Szanca said. “The best thing that happened to the Carnegie Library of Homestead is Dan Lloyd.”
More information about Carnegie Library of Homestead is available by calling 412-462-3444, or online at the www.homesteadlibrary.org website.
By Stacy Lee, MCKEESPORT DAILY NEWSThursday, January 27, 2011
Read more: Historic Munhall library adds elevator, amenities - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailynewsmckeesport/s_720092.html#ixzz1CFQ8i9g7
