300 W. Merrill St. Birmingham, MI 48009 | (248) 647-1700

Renovation

Baldwin Public Library: Three Phase Renovation Plan

Based on feedback from Library patrons, staff, and community members, the Baldwin Public Library has developed a long-term vision of the Library building. The building should be a well-designed, forward-looking, technologically advanced, and visually exciting space in which to carry out innovative library services in the 21st century.

The Vision includes the following three phases:

  • PHASE 1: ADULT SERVICES RENOVATION
    (Completed in May 2017)
  • PHASE 2: YOUTH ROOM EXPANSION AND RENOVATION
    (Completed in September 2020)
  • PHASE 3: CIRCULATION, LOBBY, AND PUBLIC ENTRANCE RENOVATION
    (Proposed for 2023-2024)  

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Location - View Map

300 W. Merrill St.
Birmingham, MI 48009

Library Hours

Monday–Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Upcoming Holiday Closures

Sunday, April 17 - All Day: Easter

Phase Three: Front Entrance, Lobby, and Circulation Area

In 2021, in preparation for Phase 3 of its long-range building vision, the Baldwin Public Library issued an RFP for the conceptual/schematic design of the Front Entrance and Circulation Area. Merritt Cieslak Design was selected to complete the work. The current entrance is not accessible and the goal of the project is to create a welcoming, street-level entrance that can be used and enjoyed by all Library patrons.

In August and September, the Library conducted a variety of Outreach initiatives to gather feedback on the project. These initiatives included a public survey, community forum, and meeting with Library staff. Read the full Outreach Initiatives report.

You can follow along with the project by reading the minutes and viewing the drawings and diagrams from past planning workshops below. The Library Board will provide an update on the project during their regular monthly meetings.

Merritt Cieslak Design will present their project to the Library Board on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 and Library Director Rebekah Craft will present the proposed project to the City Commission at their long range planning meeting on January 22, 2022. If you have feedback or questions about the project, please fill out the form below.

Phase 3 rendering view from community house

Phase Two: Youth Room Expansion & Renovation

In 2017, in preparation for Phase 2 of its long-range building vision, the Baldwin Public Library issued an RFP for the conceptual/schematic design of a Youth Room expansion and renovation. Luckenbach Ziegelman Gardner (architects) and Karen Swanson (interior designer) were selected to do the work. The Library presented its plans to the Birmingham City Commission in January 2018, and in May 2018 the Commission voted to begin pre-funding the project in fiscal year 2018-19. The City issued an RFP for the construction of the Youth Room in March 2019 and the City Commission selected The Dailey Company for the construction project. The project construction began on Thursday, August 15, 2019 and was completed in September 2020. The project cost came in just under the budgeted amount of $2.7 million.

Expansion and Renovation Goals

    • ENHANCE Baldwin’s ability to serve the children of our community by providing developmentally appropriate learning spaces for children from birth to sixth grade
    • SATISFY needs and requests shared by parents, caregivers, children, and staff that have been collected through a variety of forums
    • INCREASE value that the Library delivers to residents, businesses, and visitors of all ages
    • ENSURE Birmingham remains competitive against other communities who have invested heavily in their libraries
    • STRENGTHEN Birmingham’s civic center by providing an exterior that complements the existing building, Shain Park, The Community House, and the city campus

Expansion and Renovation Details

      • 40% expansion, or approximately 2,000 square feet
      • New furniture and carpeting
      • Larger play area, story room, and seating capacity
      • Make the entire area ADA-compliant, including the book shelves and the bathrooms
      • Modernize and increase the capacity of the bathrooms
      • Add display cases and a large aquarium, as well as a separate room for strollers and coats
      • Expose the brick of the original 1927 building
      • Clad the room in heat- and glare-reducing glass from floor to ceiling
      • Add an outdoor children’s terrace and garden

Project professionals

 

Click to tour the new youth room
The main hallway to the Youth Room has been widened.
The entry hallway to the Youth Room includes an 8-foot aquarium, book display shelving, and poster boards to advertise upcoming programs.
The two restrooms on the first floor were remodeled to increase capacity and updated ventilation. The restrooms doors have handicap accessible buttons.
The women’s restroom now has three stalls. The men’s restroom now has one stall and two urinals.
The restroom sinks have automatic faucets and automatic soap dispensers.
The entry hallway includes a coat and stroller room.
A donor wall will be installed just outside of the Grams Discovery Room to acknowledge nearly $300,000 in donations to the Youth Room Expansion & Renovation project. To the right of the donor wall is a staff workroom.
The staff work room includes four collapsible shelving units to hold BPL’s toy collection and program materials.
The opposite wall of the workroom includes storage space for the Youth department’s extensive die cut collection and a large counter for program preparation.
The entrance to the Grams Discovery Room is located just as you walk into the Youth Room.
Grams Discovery Room is currently being used to store furniture and record virtual story times.
Grams Discovery Room includes a small workspace with a sink, work counter, and cabinets for materials storage.
The play area is adjacent to the picture book collection.
The new play area includes a spot for an activity table, Lego & train table, wooden interactive display walls, board book storage, a puppet theatre, and more.
The room is filled with many shelves to display new books. Youth librarians have been busy purchasing new books for the collection.
The new reference desk has space for two librarians and a built-in literature display area.
Shelving for new books is located next to the reference desk along the piano-key walkway.
Magazine displays are located behind the New Books shelving.
The picture book shelving includes three reading cubbies that children and adults enjoy using for reading.
Sit in one of the new reading hideaways to enjoy a new book.
Play under the bright red canopy or browse the Beginning to Read books.
All aisles are handicap accessible.
The perimeter of the room includes many study tables and lounge seating options. Due to COVID-19, we have had to place most of the furniture into temporary storage.
New floor to ceiling windows overlook Shain Park.
Several lounge chair options are available throughout the Youth Room
On the left side of this photo is the outdoor area that will feature a children’s garden by the end of September.
The Youth Room has a spot for four computers and four iPad stations. The computers and iPads are in storage for the time being.
The Youth Room now has a dedicated self-check machine that is proving popular with patrons.
Several reading cubbies are scattered throughout the room.
View looking south toward the reference desk and play area.
View looking into the Youth Room from the Grand Hall. The door to the terrace is on the left.

Related Documents:

 

Phase One: Adult Services

Phase One was completed in May 2017, thanks to the following team of talented and dedicated professionals:

 

Free Two-Hour Parking in Chester Street Deck

Metered street parking around Library

Free Parking on Sundays

 

248-647-1700

300 W. Merrill St.
Birmingham, MI 48009

Library Hours:

Monday – Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Holiday Closures:

Sunday, April 17 - All Day: Easter

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