1988 Election to Finance Downtown Library Pushed

The San Diego city manager has called for a June, 1988, election to finance a new central library downtown but recommended that the more volatile decision of where to build the $60-million library be left to a new task force.

The city manager’s recommendations were contained in a report released Friday and will be discussed by the City Council’s Public Services and Safety Committee next Wednesday.

Debate over construction and location of a new library has dogged city politicians for a decade. In December, the City Council ruled out the vacant Sears site in Hillcrest and directed the city staff to focus only on downtown for a new location.

One of the leading candidates has been the Community Concourse, adjacent to City Hall. But the city manager’s report cast doubt on using the concourse because the city will need the facility for a future expansion of City Hall, which would not leave room for a seven-story library.

“With an additional 376,000 square feet required for a central Library, there is insufficient space for all the needs unless there is a redesign or relocation of the city’s government office and civic center. At this point, we feel that it is premature to recommend a site location downtown until there is a master plan for centre city,” said the report, submitted by Deputy City Manager Jack McGrory.

The recently created Centre City Task Force, composed of citizens and city planners, is in the initial stages of drafting a downtown development plan.

The city manager’s report says the task force should select and recommend a location to the City Council no later than next Jan. 15.