Mora City Council receives update on library needs analysis study

The Mora City Council received an update on a library needs analysis study at Tuesday's meeting, including a potential concept for a new facility.

Mauri Solomon, a facility assessment manager with Kraus-Anderson, said the current library rated as poor on the facility condition index.

"We found about $1.5 million in needs over a ten-year period," Solomon said.

Solomon added that the building's electrical system is original from its 1974 construction.

"There's just a lot of code compliance that's changed from 1974 to 2025, so that has really driven the facility to where it is today," Solomon said.

Solomon said the facility has been well-maintained, but the age of equipment, including the HVAC system, is a concern.

"I do have to give the facility team a hats-off, they have maintained a 1974 facility very well," she said. "But things are just at the end of their life."

An option to expand the library into the current parking lot and upgrading through renovations was presented, but mayor Jake Mathison said the council is focused on a new building.

"I appreciate it being part of this study, but I don't believe that this council has any interest in renovating," Mathison said. "We are looking at a new build."

The proposed concept for a new library included demolishing the current structure and constructing at the same location.

"There are some really great opportunities in particular with this site, there's a park, there's views to the north toward the lake, the accessibility to downtown," said Tom Erickson with BKV. "We think the existing site is excellent for a lot of those reasons."

One of the proposed features is an outdoor terrace, which could accommodate outdoor events.

The concept also includes two large community spaces, which can function as one large space or be partitioned into smaller rooms.

"That's to address in part how the community room functions right now, in that it's a very big space, so it can hold large groups, but it doesn't necessarily hold small groups very well, and it doesn't accommodate multiple groups meeting at the same time," Erickson said.

That space would be able to remain open for events when the rest of the library is closed.

"I think everybody collectively with the city, the library system, and our team really felt that there are a lot of great opportunities here," said Paul Michell with BKV. "The library has been a fixture in the community in this location. It's really part of the downtown core, it's got great proximity to the park and the lake, and really is kind of a hub for the community."

Mathison said the intention has been to keep the library in its current location, but expressed concern about where to house the library during construction.

Construction on a new facility would take approximately nine months to a year, depending on a final design.

The total cost of a new library was estimated at just under $11 million, as a mid-range cost in 2025.

"The goal is to meet the program needs, so you've got a long-term solution to last you for decades," Michell said.

Michell reminded the council that the presentation was a concept, not a final design, and that continued community engagement will be vital moving forward.

"It's a pretty dang good concept," Mathison said. "Obviously, it's not a final, but it really answers a lot of questions I had about what it could look like."

At the December Mora City Council meeting, Mathison explained that the city has been approached by a potential donor who wishes to remain anonymous about the project.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to seed a large chunk of a state of the art library,” he said at the time. “Not many communities get that opportunity.”

According to Mathison, the potential donor’s two conditions are that the new library is a memorial library, and is architecturally significant.

On Tuesday, council member Jen Henry asked what would happen if a donor's backing fell through.

"My answer to that would be this needs to get done, regardless, whether we have a donor or not," Mathison said.

"There are many different ways to fund a library," added East Central Regional Library executive director Carla Lydon.

Other council concerns were raised over the logistics of staffing and maintaining a larger library facility, if there's a 50% increase in square footage.

Mathison also said a new library project would be a "five-to-ten year deal."