Proposed Stapleton Branch Library

The New Stapleton Library Project Has Officially Started!

On November 6, 2007, Denver voters passed 9 ballot initiatives aimed at maintaining the City's critical infrastructure now and into the future. Issue 1C included funding to design and construct a new branch library in the Stapleton neighborhood.

Project Timeline

The design will be completed in the late summer of 2010. The construction start date will occur in approximately October 2010, with completion by the fall of 2011. The anticipated grand opening will be in the winter of 2011.

Next Community Meeting

Please join us for Community Meeting #3 on Wednesday, March 24, 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at Bill Roberts School. A new design that merges the community ideas and input with the expertise of the DPL staff and project team will be presented. Specifically, a revised building layout, feature elements and overall building imagery will be presented in a discussion focused on informing the overall building appearance and how it will fit into the surrounding neighborhood.

Summary of the First Community Meeting

A dynamic community visioning meeting held on January 14, 2010 enabled all attendees to share their dreams and expectations thus enlightening the Denver Public Library and OZ Architecture as to what this community really needs. The meeting was the first of four community meetings planned to ensure a truly collaborative and transparent design process.

Letty Icolari, Director of Administrative Services with the Denver Public Library, gave an overview of the Better Denver Bond Program that has enabled a LEED Silver Certified Public Library to be brought to Stapleton. Tom Gleason with Forest City discussed the details of the planned library location at the intersection of 29th Drive and Roslyn Street, just to the north of the Town Center. A shared parking agreement will ensure that the library has sufficient dedicated parking, as well as access to all parking adjacent to the Town Center. Councilman Michael Hancock expressed his excitement about the project and the community process, and encouraged everyone to become involved with the making of their new library.

Proposed Stapleton Branch Library Site
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The project schedule was reviewed, and it was noted that design will be completed in the late summer of 2010.  The delivery method for the project will be construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC), with competitive subcontractor bidding occurring concurrent with the City of Denver permitting process.

An informational slideshow covered a variety of topics such as the site, building character, interior environment, children’s area, sustainability and technology. The community had an opportunity to respond to what they had seen by jotting down their ideas on sticky notes. Insightful feedback was presented by the community members and is summarized as follows:

• Building Character
  nouveau-traditional, varied elevations (not boxy), transparent (lots of windows), traditional materials such as brick and stone, strong indoor/outdoor relationship, integral sustainable elements, welcoming, unique, neighborhood beacon, protected outdoor space/porch at entry
• Site
  primary entry west facing off parking lot and secondary entry off Roslyn, L-shaped building to maximize site configuration, visibility and good interaction between the building and exterior, safety for kids and pedestrians, green roof, outdoor reading on patio or in courtyard, softscaped outdoor area, shade, secure bike and stroller parking, Wi-Fi access outside
• Interior Environment
  inviting and cozy, homey, build sense of community, dynamic, flexible, movable furniture, convertible to allow the library to change, variety of meeting spaces for groups of 5, 10 and 50+, transitional style (not traditional or too modern), separation of ages and activities, noise containment, interactive/educational
• Sustainability
  efficient, net zero if possible, under floor mechanical electrical and technology system, maximize solar panels and day lighting, provide comprehensive HVAC system, water conscious design and landscaping, hands-on, educational with on site system tracking, interactive elements, accessible, healthy building using sustainable products, composting, light shelves, task lighting
• Technology
  app's, genius bar, self service, e-books, RFID technology, interactive, multiplatform, exploit mobile technology and provide Wi-Fi and power for personal lap top use, accessibility 24/7 with pickup and drop off kiosks for books, tech library to check out equipment (e.g. projectors, cameras, video camera’s), expand CARL-academic journals, provide technology training for use in low tech meeting spaces, dedicated technology for gaming, music stations, research, and distributed appropriately

Summary of the Second Community Meeting

The spirit of collaboration continued in our second of four Stapleton Branch Library community meetings held on Wednesday, February 10, 6:30 p.m. in the Bill Roberts School Cafeteria.

A frank discussion about "What Works for DPL" as the owner and operator of the facility ensued. An overview of the site and its opportunities for development followed, and the internal features of the Library were then discussed. For a complete summary of the meeting, please refer to the notes for the February 10 meeting. (PDF)

Photos From February 10 Meeting

More information on this project and images will be posted to this page as they become available.