by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Saturday morning the first visible demolition for the new $95 million main library began. A crew from Realco Wrecking Co. demolished the Young Men’s Shop and another building on the same block.
Although these buildings weren’t actually on the property designated for the library, they were on the site of the library’s multi-level parking garage.
The entire demolition process will take place over the next couple of months highlighted by the implosion of the Rhodes Building on Aug. 17. Before that building and the two LaRose buildings on the site are razed, however, several architectural elements will be salvaged and incorporated into the new library which is being designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
The new library is scheduled to open in late 2004, almost a year later than originally planned by Better Jacksonville Plan officials. The delay is a result of the library’s board asking Better Jax officials to slow down the process and allow them to make sure everything they want in the new facility is included.
The library is one of four major vertical projects within the $2.2 billion Plan which was approved by voters in September of 2000.