
A move could be undertaken sometime in 2025 to substantially upgrade and renovate the main library in Tucson belonging to the Pima County Library System.
Located at 101 N. Stone Avenue, the five-story Joel D. Valdez Main Library was opened in 1989 and includes space for books, reading areas, archival storage, meeting rooms, and offices.
Through the years the 90,000-square-foot structure has seen some upgrade work, including the combined $600,000 building of a children’s reading room and new lunch area.
Now, according to Pima County documents, a renovation of the structure is being looked at as one of three options for the library system to move forward, with two other proposals calling for upgrading various additional area public buildings for more library space or building an entirely new library altogether.
The renovation option, however, has received most attention, with an assessment report submitted earlier this month noting that “initial costs to renovate the interior of the library were estimated in the $30-$40 million range.”
Those numbers have grown, “due to the failing of the exterior facade, which requires the complete removal and replacement of the panels, the need to replace nearly all building systems, including the HVAC cooling tower,” and the building of new elevators.
It is thought that the facade replacement itself could cost anywhere from $13 million to $14 million, while interior renovation work to the building might come in at around $34 million.
At 90,000 square feet, the Joel D. Valdez is by far the largest of the just over two dozen libraries that make up the county library system and serves thousands of patrons monthly.
A final decision on the future of the building is expected to be announced by the end of 2025, following several months of public input that will include surveys, workshops, and focus groups.
December 2, 2024
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Pixabay