For Immediate Release                                                                                        Contact: Lori Crowe

December 10, 2009                                                                                              NPL Public Relations Coordinator

                                                                                                                                  lori.crowe@norfolk.gov

 757-664-7328 ext. 340

 

Architect of Record Chosen for the

Colonial Samuel L. Slover Main Library

 

Norfolk, VA (December 10, 2009). Newman Architects LLC has been chosen as the Architect of Record for Norfolk’s new Colonial Samuel L. Slover Main Library, to be located in downtown Norfolk. A contract with Newman Architects and the City of Norfolk will be finalized in the next several weeks. Newman Architects is a collaborative design firm located in New Haven, Connecticut. They have received more than 125 design excellence awards and have built a national reputation for the design of new buildings and the renovation and restoration of existing buildings. Providence Associates, a library consulting firm, has also been chosen to help develop the program and building plan for Slover Main Library.

Construction of Slover Main Library could begin as early as 2011. The 108,000 square foot Slover Main Library will consist of the interim Norfolk Main Library, located at 235 E. Plume Street and a newly built structure between the interim main library and Selden Arcade. The interim Norfolk Main Library will also undergo a complete renovation to its interior and infrastructure. In addition to the Slover Main Library, a 30,000 square foot Library Service Center will be off-site and house the Library’s administrative offices and support services. By combining the square footage of Slover Main Library with the Service Center, the total space increases to 138,000 square feet. This compares well to the 77,000 square feet of space that was in the former Kirn Memorial Library.

In October 2008, the late Frank Batten Sr., long-time chairman of Landmark Communications, committed $20 million dollars to the construction of a new main library in downtown Norfolk. The new main library will be named in honor of Batten’s uncle, Colonel Samuel L. Slover. Slover founded Landmark Communications in the early 1930s. He was also a former Mayor of Norfolk who loved the city, believing that an informed citizenry is one of the most important keys to its success.

For more information, please call Norman Maas, Library Director at 441-5910 or 647-3035.

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About Norfolk Public Library:

The Norfolk Public Library offers access to information, books, programs, and online resources to meet the needs of our diverse community for life-long learning. The library system consists of one main library, ten branch libraries, one anchor branch library, and a Bookmobile. All programs are FREE of charge. Visit www.npl.lib.va.us or call us at (757) 664-READ for more information. NPL- Creating a City of Readers.