Fontana's new library is nearly halfway finished
Article Date: May, 17, 2007
By Bob Otto, Fontana Herald News
Brian Cahill has built his share of libraries -- between 10 to 15 over the years, he figures -- in cities such as Poway, Mission Viejo and Chino Hills.
"Size-wise this is the largest we've built, no doubt," said Cahill. "This is a great project."
The great project? The Lewis Library and Technology Center in downtown Fontana, slated to be finished in the spring of 2008.
As executive vice president of Douglas E. Barnhart, Inc., Cahill oversees the construction of the library. On May 11, Cahill, along with city and public officials, dignitaries and library donors, held a "topping off ceremony" next to the fast-rising, concrete building on the southeast corner of Civic Center Drive and Sierra Avenue.
The ceremony marks the nearly halfway completion of the library. About 200 people were on hand to sign their names and best wishes with permanent black-ink Sharpies onto a white steel beam. A construction crew then raised the beam two stories with a crane, and workers bolted it to supporting crossbeams near the top of the building.
The raising of the beam commemorates the completion of the library up to its highest point, as in a "reaching of the sky."
As the crane operator maneuvered the white beam into place, the crowd down below broke into applause. Smiling faces gazed at the white beam for several minutes.
"This is one of the milestones we've reached," said Mayor Mark Nuaimi. "I can't wait until next spring and see the look on a five-year-old's face when they walk into the biggest library in the county."
Nuaimi cited the library's location as ideal for the community. The library, an open-air amphitheatre, the Fontana Center Stage Theater, and Historical Garden will all be within easy walking distance -- as well as many small businesses that have undergone recent remodeling, giving the downtown area a much-needed makeover.
Cahill said that the library will serve all who enter through its doors. "Preschool, middle school, high school, college students, and adults all the way up to retired will benefit," he said. "That's what's nice about it; it serves everybody."
Once construction crews finish, the 92,500 square-foot facility at 8473 Sierra Avenue will replace the 40-year-old, 13,000 square-foot building that previously housed the Fontana Library.
The library, which will be a part of the San Bernardino County Library system, will feature something for everyone: A career center, community meeting rooms, a 350-seat auditorium, a bookstore and coffee bar, a literacy center with tutoring programs, and 203 computers for public use, including 25 Spanish-language computers, among many other features.
The topping off ceremony paid tribute to the many donors who have contributed a total of about $15 million so far to the $60 millon project.
"It's important to demonstrate that this is a community project," said Nuaimi as he thanked the donors who attended the ceremony. "This will be a destination for thousands of people for years to come."
"This is a tremendous structure in our community. It will be the jewel of Fontana," said Larry Clark, president of the Fontana Library Foundation.
Donor Barbara Edmiston attended the ceremony and signed the beam for herself and on behalf of her family.
"There's been a lot of talking, but it's finally coming together" she said. "My daughters' children, my grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will be coming here. It's unbelievable."
(In the photo above, a steel beam is bolted into place by construction workers at the site of the new library. Photo by Bob Otto.)
