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SALT LAKE CITY — Employees at the Salt Lake City Public Library knew the routine when it started pouring Wednesday afternoon.
Patrons and staff alike have endured roof leaks every time there's been a major storm for some time now. So when it started raining, employees got the trash cans out to catch leaks coming from the ceiling. This routine is potentially coming to an end soon, as Salt Lake City Public Library System is set to renovate the building's rooftop experience beginning Monday.
"While the waterproofing isn't the most exciting part of a renovation, it's exciting in that I think our staff and patrons will kind of have that resolved," said Quinn McQueen, a spokeswoman for the Salt Lake City Public Library System.
The library's rooftop is already closed in preparation for the project; the fifth floor inside the building will also be closed beginning Monday. Some parts of the fourth floor — the floor that is home to the library's nonfiction collection, public computers, art gallery and meeting space — will also be closed off "periodically" through the next year.
The library's entrance on 200 East will also be closed beginning Monday in preparation for a crane will be set up on the building's plaza in the area. Its Library Square entrance, other floors and services will remain open through construction, which is slated to be completed by the fall of 2024.
A much-needed fix
Salt Lake City's main library is only 20 years old; however, ceiling and other issues began soon after the $84 million public project was completed. People reported issues with a leaky roof, crumbling stairs and other issues as early as 2005.
McQueen explained that maintenance crews have "taken stabs" at finding and repairing various leaks over the years, but none of them were "completely successful" when it came to ending the problem once and for all.
"That was part of the impetus to get us going, rolling and looking at this again," she said. "We're looking for a permanent solution to fix the leaks in the roof."
The department recently set aside $7.9 million for a massive renovation aimed at quelling the problem and upgrading the roof. The total price tag is a mix of costs associated with designing, engineering and constructing the new rooftop, according to library officials.
The project also calls for completely new ceilings as new drains, supply lines, electrical wiring and structural steelwork are installed.
Officials add the project also includes highly durable asphalt rubberized waterproofing, which is expected to last for at least 25 years. Crews will also install a new electronic leak detection system that will help library maintenance crews pinpoint any future leaks so they can be resolved faster, should leaks repair in the future.
More than just waterproofing
The project goes beyond waterproofing. Since the entire roof was going to be dismantled anyway, library officials decided to completely redo the library's outdoor experience.
The rooftop is popular because it features incredible panoramic views of the downtown Salt Lake City skyscrapers to its northwest, as well as the Wasatch Mountains to its southeast. But there were issues with its layout, as its original design didn't offer much shade, meaning it gets bright and hot as the concrete heats up in the summer — even with some vegetation on the roof.
The department collected more than 1,600 "points of feedback" through community events and surveys to help piece together a new design that residents and library patrons wanted to see. The general sentiment is that they wanted a spot they could spend a lot of time at when it is seasonally open, McQueen said.
"We wanted to make sure that if we're going to do a lot of this work for the waterproofing, let's make sure that we're using this community feedback and make it a place where people can come and spend time for the next 40 years," she said.
GSBS Architects, which was brought on for the project, came up with a design that features more shade and seating. The project calls for a small play area for children to run around and some vegetation with turf, trees and native plants, too. McQueen said there could be some events held on the rooftop in the future because some of the space will be set up like a tiny amphitheater, while a section that allows visitors to view the beekeeping on the roof will remain.
There are also plans to install some new glass panels for more safety at the top of the building. These will be etched with markers identifying the mountain peaks and city landmarks that visitors are looking at as an educational piece to the design.
In short, it will be a completely different experience when the project wraps up next year.
"I think people are just going to be really excited to have it open again," McQueen said. "(They will) just be able to spend a lot of lovely time out on our beautiful rooftop."
