St. Pete Catalyst; Published By Mark Parker
Decorum calls for absolute quiet inside a public library. For St. Petersburg’s longtime main library, however, the silence has been deafening.
When the President Barack Obama Main Library closed for renovations in April 2021, shortly after its renaming ceremony, city officials expected construction to complete by late 2022 or early 2023.
However, an increasing scope, asbestos removal and a significant funding gap delayed the project. In April 2022, administrators told the St. Petersburg City Council that they were addressing those concerns and would bring a new, full proposal back for review by the end of the year.
More than two years have passed since the facility shuttered, and save for caution barriers blocking the entrance, the outside appears untouched. The issues exist behind closed doors.
Mike Jefferis, leisure services administrator, and City Architect Raul Quintana oversee the “complicated project.” They sought to explain the delay and reassure the public that a reimagined hub for the city’s seven-library system is still moving forward in an interview with the Catalyst.
“We like to say this is really a generational project,” Jefferis said. “Meaning we only have one chance to get it right.” Read more
