SAN DIEGO, CA – Just a few days removed from the City Council’s approval of an updated community plan for the Uptown neighborhoods, San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria joined Library Director Misty Jones, San Diego Library Foundation Chief Executive Officer Jay Hill, Friends of the Mission Hills-Hillcrest Branch Library President Phyllis Marion, and community leaders Tuesday to introduce and kick-off the construction phase of the new Mission Hills-Hillcrest public library, to be known as the Mission Hills-Hillcrest Harley and Bessie Knox Branch Library.
“Our old Mission Hills branch library has dutifully served the Uptown community for more than 50 years,” said Councilmember Todd Gloria. “The growing populations in Uptown now necessitate a new, expanded, and modern facility that can meet the diverse needs of its residents and serve our city for generations. That is exactly what the new Mission Hills-Hillcrest library will do.”
The new library facility will be built at the site of the old IBEW building located on the corner of West Washington and Front Streets. The City of San Diego purchased this building in 2004 and it is scheduled to be demolished in April to make way for the new facility.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Councilmember Gloria, city officials, and community members unveiled a new colorful banner to mark the next stage in this Public Works project, which can now be seen suspended atop the building.
The new library facility is set to be a single-story, LEED Gold structure spaced at over 14,350 square feet, a dramatic 10,000 square foot increase compared to the old library branch. It will feature children and teen areas, study space, a computer lab, a community meeting room, and a Friend’s of the Library room. Further, the new library project will include a two-story underground parking garage with 85 parking spaces, which is 76 more spaces that the previous facility. Off-site improvements such as drought tolerant landscape and the forming of a cul-de-sac at the south end of Front Street are also included as part of the project.
The architectural rendering of the new Mission Hills-Hillcrest Harley and Bessie Knox Branch Library has been designed by Architects Mosher Drew who are based in San Diego. A formal groundbreaking has been tentatively set for spring of next year.
Originally opened in 1961, the old Mission Hills Branch Library currently sits at 3,850 square feet with only nine parking spaces. The old Mission Hills Branch Library will remain operational until the new library opens. City staff is still looking to determine a future use for the old facility.
