Trustees like two-story update with building bridge for Northfield library

Northfield’s local library is a step closer to its upcoming overhaul.

Northfield trustees expressed their preliminary support for one of three exterior designs presented during a Village of Northfield Committee of the Whole Meeting in late April.

The Village’s Library Modernization Group worked with architects from Wight & Company to create plans that would increase the size of the library and modernize the design.

The Village reportedly requested the new library be increased from 3,000 square feet to 10,000-13,000; however, each option presented at the meeting was approximately 15,000 square feet, according to the architects.

The library, 1785 Orchard Lane, which is part of the two-location Winnetka-Northfield Library District, leases its space from the village. The U.S. Postal Service also leases space in the building, so each design included space for a local post office.

Option 3, which architects referred to as The Gateway, connected the main library to the post office with a second-story bridged building. The design also incorporated a portion of the Skokie Valley bike trail. It would cost approximately $7.9 million to build over a year’s time.

The Library Modernization Group expressed its preference for The Gateway at the Committee of the Whole meeting. 

“The third option really is the one that the group fell in love with,” said Trustee Matthew Gallin, a member of the Library Modernization Group. “It accomplishes so much from the library standpoint and the village’s standpoint of creating that place where people want to go, where people can assemble it to the gateway to the downtown, the connection with the Skokie Valley Trail. It just checks all the boxes.”

The first concept incorporated gardens and natural lighting throughout the library’s space and would cost approximately $7 million to complete over two phases and 15 months.

The second option was a two-story scheme that could hide surrounding power lines. The plan also included an outdoor space and a brick and wood exterior design at an estimated cost of $6.65 million with an 11-month timeline. 

Residents expressed their concerns with the new designs during the session.

Answering concerns from Northfield resident and frequent librarygoer Margaret Farney, Village President Tracey Mendrek said that the library would be ADA compliant, regardless of the design selected.

Resident Annie Challenger voiced her worries about the post office being built into the library.

“It seems like the post office just sort of gets moved into these little corners and then it obstructs parking and viability for people to walk and for the community,” Challenger said. “And it just seems that we should be able to find another place in the village to put our post office.”

But Village Manager Patrick Brennan said that the Village entered a long-term lease with the post office three years ago and cannot cancel the lease.

Trustee Tom Whittaker wondered if the post office could be placed elsewhere in the building’s design.

“My concern is with where the post office is,” Whittaker said. “I think it kind of detracts from the front of the library. Ideally it would be at the northeast corner of that property.”

Trustee Andrew Juedes said he wanted to look into different lighting options for the building’s corridor.

The architects will now work to refine Concept 3, incorporating feedback from the Committee of the Whole, and representing the design in June.

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