NORWALK, Conn. — The possibility of a Norwalk Public Library branch in the proposed SoNo mall occupied about 25 people Monday, some of whom advocated rushing with open arms toward the future while others championed the value of the past, and all the precedent that came with it.
“The reason we are doing this is there’s so much ambiguity, so many ‘ifs,’ so we’ve got to wrestle those ‘ifs’ to the ground,” Library Board member Mary Pugh said in beginning the discussion, inspired partly by Jackie Lightfield’s recent push to get the community behind the idea of a glorious alternative high-tech library space atop the glorious proposed mall, with a glorious view of the Norwalk River.
That’s just one possibility, Pugh stressed.
Lightfield wasn’t present. Neither was Doug Adams of mall developer General Growth Properties (GGP), so as to not make the discussion about whether or not there should be a mall, Pugh said. She asked people not to give their names so as to not inspire anxiety while brainstorming, prompting a pros-and-cons back-and-forth.
“We are here to maybe create some magic or move on to something else. … If nothing else, it shines a light on our library and some of the issues that we might have because we have a pretty spectacular library system here,” Pugh said. “We’ve got a great library here. I am on the Board. We’ve made a lot of changes in the last few years.”
First thought expressed: Why do we need a new library? Second thought, ditto. Third thought: A library in the mall is a fabulous idea.
Stamford got a “big empty nothing” for common space in its mall, Marilyn Marino said. A library would be a much better use of the public realm space that GGP is required to provide, but maybe the problem is it’s being called a library, she said.
“I pay tons in taxes to the city and I probably am not the hugest shopper, so it would be much more exciting if there was something I could use there, and since the developer has to give back something, I think this is a much better idea than what I have seen in other malls,” Marino said, referring to the requirement that GGP contribute public realm space to the city.
The Belden Avenue library has an “amazing history,” former Zoning Commission Chairwoman Dorothy Mobilia said, asking why it couldn’t be made into the high-tech space Lightfield envisions.
Retrofitting an old library with technology would be much more expensive than building the tech into a brand new space’s open architecture, Bob Sodaro said.
Sodaro, deputy Democratic registrar, said that there are problems with the meeting spaces in City Hall – there’s no option for groups bigger than 20 people but to go into a space made for 150 people, he said.
“We can make it what we want,” Pugh said, “and what you would like to see is some places where it’s more people to people in communication as opposed to your cavernous areas and stuff; you could make several spots.”
“I am a little different than most men. I actually like going shopping in most malls,” Sodaro said. But others don’t, and a “not quite library” would be a good place to hang out while a significant other shops, he said. Plus, the new generation is digital and no one knows what the kids will need, Sodaro said.
Another question: What happens to the library if the mall goes bust, Mobilia asked.
The Main Library has value and its revamping could be done in phases, Diane Lauricella said, citing the library’s prominence in the Plan of Conservation and Development and the Wall Street master plan. The city could take over the neighboring First Taxing District property or the back parking lot by eminent domain, she said.
The “back parking lot” is there for People’s Bank, another person said, and is owned by Jason Milligan.
A quitclaim deed for 11 Belden Ave. was registered with the city in February, giving SI Belden LLC the property in care of JRI Advisors LLC.
“I don’t understand how that property could come on the market and the city would not know it was on the market and therefore buy it,” former Sixth Taxing District Commissioner Bunny Scott said.
GGP has said it will charge for parking at the mall, Mobilia said, distastefully. Nothing is set in stone, Pugh said.
Adams has been very definite about charging for parking.
“Your beach sticker should let you park for free,” Marino said. Pugh suggested she run for mayor.
“Parking here (the main library) is an issue and short of putting this place up on posts and having us park beneath of it I’m not sure how they’re going to do it, particularly if they build housing units and fill up those parking lots,” Pugh said. “As Diane says, now is the time to grab that.”
The proposal being discussed would give a mall library space two entrances, so people would not have to go through the mall, Pugh said, and that could be a win-win.
“If I were a mall developer, I’d want something to bring traffic in and a library brings traffic in,” Pugh said. “But, on the other hand, as a library Board member, do you want to expose your people to have to go through shopping?”
The “great venue” atop the mall could be self-funding, with events that generate revenue, former Board of Education member Sue Haynie said.
Pugh suggested looking at best practices of other futuristic libraries before going forward with anything.
“I’m going to be talking with some of the people who in fact have some of the answers to these questions,” Pugh said when the commentary petered out. She promised another short meeting with perhaps members of the Planning and Zoning Department, the library Board, GGP and/or the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency.
“Then we can say, ‘OK, now we know more about what our options are,’ Pugh said. “They will hear some of the things that we are interested in. … They’re going to hear the shades of gray of everybody. Maybe we can come to mutual agreement.”
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