Not a Member?  Not a Problem!  Come and sign up on-site.  Hope you can make it!

The Woodcrest Library is hosting a series of local history events in the next few weeks, starting with a book discussion/signing with celebrated local history author Steve Lech concerning his new book, “More Than a Place to Pitch a Tent: The Stories Behind Riverside County’s Regional Parks.”  The county owns and operates several fascinating historic parks, including the Jensen Alvarado Ranch in Rubidoux, the Gilman Ranch and Wagon Museum in Banning, and the San Timoteo Canyon Schoolhouse near Redlands.  The first event starts at 7 on the 18th of October.  See the flyer below for more information.

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It’s done!  Click here to download a copy of our brand-new “Most Endangered Properties of Riverside” leaflet.  It includes information on 10 properties which ORF considers in danger of demolition or extreme alterations.  The properties are:

The Mission Inn Historic District

The Westbrook/Imperial Hardware Building

The Mission Inn Annex

The Marcy Branch Library

The Farmhouse Motel

The Stalder Building

Trujillo Adobe

Riverside Downtown Main Branch Library

Fire Station No. 1 (Central Fire Station)

The Press Enterprise Building

More to come on these buildings in the coming months…

The Old Riverside Foundation just received a Notice of Preparation and Initial Study for a project that we’ve been hearing about for a few years now – demolition of the Main Branch Library for the construction of a new library.  Here is the project description:

The proposed Project involves the demolition of the existing Downtown Main Library as well as removal of the existing open space plaza located in front of the library.  A new and expanded Downtown Main Library anticipated at approximately 100,000 square feet will replace the existing Downtown Main Library building, parking, and entry plaza area.  The planned architectural style will be consistent with the development standards and design policies contained within the Downtown Specific Plan as well as compliment the Mission Inn and Seventh Street Historic Districts.  Furthermore, the building will be designed to LEED certifiable standards.  The existing surface parking lot that wraps around three sides of the building will be removed; new parking will be built on the northeast corner of the site “behind” the new building.  An underground parking structure will be constructed as part of the proposed Project.  A total of 300-400 spaces will be provided of which 100 will be provided within the street level surface parking area.  The Chinese Pavilion, the Unitarian Universalist Church, and its parsonage, that all currently occupy the same block as the Downtown Main Library, will remain in situ.

The good news is that the City has already acknowledged that the Library is historic.  The Notice of Preparation indicates that the Library is eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources under Criterion 3 (architectural significance) at the local level, because it is one of a few good examples of New Formalism.

Quick explanation:  New Formalism is a Mid-Century Modern architectural style that came into vogue in the 1960s.  Instead of abandoning traditional form and decoration like Modern architects did in the 1920s-1950s, the architects of New Formalism brought traditional form back, but with a modern twist.  Symmetry returned to the building plan, and the mass was raised up on a dais like an ancient temple on a hill.  Traditional building elements like colonnades and cornices returned, but in abstract shapes with unadorned surfaces.  And architects resumed decorating buildings, but in a more conceptual, less representational way.  The Main Branch Library has  all the hallmarks of New Formalism – symmetrical plan, raised up on a platform, a large roof slab resembling a cornice, and decorative wall screens depicting an abstract arrangement of doves.

The Old Riverside Foundation will be preparing comments that address scoping of the draft Environmental Impact Report.  We’re interested in seeing alternatives to demolition.  A link to the Notice of Preparation is forthcoming.  You can send your own comments regarding the scoping of the Environmental Impact Report to the City via Principal Planner Diane Jenkins (DiJenkins@riversideca.gov, be sure to CC us) or you can send comments to us for review and possible incorporation into our comments to the City.  As always, be sure to let your Councilperson know that you care about the existing library and want to see it saved and expanded rather than destroyed.  There’s also a place to let the Library design team know what you want to see here: http://www.riversideca.gov/library/Project_library.asp

Ultimately, the fate of the existing Main Branch Library rests upon a groundswell of support from the community.