Transforming Libraries | Hamline Midway

SPPL received $8.1 million in funding from the City’s Capital Improvement Budget to invest in a transformation of Hamline Midway Library, one of three libraries in Saint Paul that is well-used, well-loved, and well-worn and has not been renovated in more than 30 years.  

With design partners, LSE Architects, SPPL conducted extensive community engagement and sought guidance from technical experts to determine that a new library building was the best option for transforming Hamline Midway Library to meet the needs of the community now and for future generations.  

A new library building responds to community’s desire for building that is environmentally responsible, accessible for all community members, and provides spaces for community members to read, work, study, gather, and for families to play and learn together. 

The new building’s design incorporates the community’s desire for a library that uniquely reflects the cultures of the neighborhood today while including elements of its history. The existing building’s preserved stone arch entryway leads to a meeting room, salvaged brick is used in the outdoor reading garden and salvaged wood from the existing building’s stage is used in the community room. The diamond brick pattern was discovered in existing library’s original 1929 draft documents and is now giving a unique look to the new library’s exterior.  

Hamline Midway Library’s planned new features that respond to community members’ input include an outdoor reading garden, an interactive children’s area for learning through play, a teen area, study rooms, two community meeting rooms, a wellness room, and space to host ongoing opportunities for public art features that connect the library to the variety of cultures represented in the Hamline Midway neighborhood. The one-story library’s layout maximizes accessibility for everyone and provides additional safety with low shelving, strong sightlines throughout the space, and all amenities on one floor.   

Completing an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is required for buildings in Minnesota listed to the National Register of Historic Places. The City is participating in the EAW process to confirm that all environmental impacts were considered as a part of the new library’s design process. The existing building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in January 2023 after being nominated by a community member, eight months after the Library announced it would be rebuilding Hamline Midway based on community feedback. For more information about the environmental sustainability of the new building’s design, please see the final design report. 

Built in 1930, Hamline Midway Library is one of the smallest of the City’s 13 library locations. It was the only library in Saint Paul where the interior was closed to the public for more than one year during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its outdated HVAC system.  

Since opening in the 1930’s, the building has received modifications to the front staircase, service desk, entrance foyer, windows, roof, light fixtures, water-proofing attempts, plaster repair, boilers, and more. Over the past five years alone, the City has spent at least $400,000 on repairs and maintenance at this library—none of those dollars significantly improving the accessibility or function of this building for staff and library users. 

The most recent building assessment was done by LSE Architects in 2022. Their findings include the following and, along with community input, informed the new library building:  

• The building does not have fire sprinklers. 
• Main entry is not accessible, and the accessible entrance is not obvious from the entry or visible from the street. 
• The accessible entrance does not have any supervision from staffed areas and requires taking an elevator from the lower level to the main level or a lift into the community room. 
• Lower-level hallways are not accessible and inadequate as public spaces. The hallway from accessible entry to toilets is too narrow for passing, and hallway behind stage is a dead-end corridor not visible from any other spaces and could allow someone to hide or trap someone. 
• Stairs are not visible to any public spaces and there is a recess at the bottom of the stairs that could provide a space for someone to hide. 
• Toilets are not in an area that is visible by staff. Currently the toilets require a key from staff to be used and have a record of safety and security incidents. 
• The accessible entrance is not the main entrance and is significantly inferior to the entry stairs. The accessible entrance leads into the lower level and requires an elevator to a drop off at the back corner of the main reading room where the main entry is visible from the street and enters into the center of the main reading room. 
• A significant portion of the lower level is not accessible including the stage in the community room. The community room was made partially accessible by the addition of a lift; however, the lift is slow and requires operation by a staff member. To have a staff member operate the lift, a patron in a wheelchair would need to take the elevator up to the main level, speak with a staff member, takef elevator back to lower level, then take a slow lift into the community room. 
• A patron in a wheelchair needs at least two elevator rides to use the bathroom since the toilet rooms are locked on the lower level and require a key on the upper level. 
• The staff breakroom and staff toilet are not accessible and would make employing a staff member in a wheelchair difficult. 
• Lack of ventilation and significant water infiltration in the community room and the lower level has contributed to significantly worse air quality in these public and staff areas that could be unsafe for people with respiratory health concerns. 
• Lack of distinct children, teen, and adult areas make congregating in the library uninviting to many community members, especially those engaged in small group activities. 

For the full description of recent building assessment findings, including diagrams of interior and exterior issues, please see the Hamline Midway Library Pre-Design Report prepared by LSE Architects, May 13, 2022. Additional recent building assessments that reveal similar challenges to safety and accessibility include studies by AMERESCO in 2016 and the Library’s Facility Direction conducted by HGA architects in 2019. 

Despite objections from the City, Hamline Midway Library was listed to the National Register of Historic Places after being nominated by a community member. The listing does not prohibit the City from building a new library building. The City is participating in the processes required for buildings listed to the National Register of Historic Places, which includes an environmental review process with the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board to ensure all environmental impacts were considered as part of the design process for a new library. The City is also participating consultation process with the State Historic Preservation Office. These activities will happen alongside the decommissioning of the building.

Once construction of a new Hamline Midway Library begins, it is expected to take up to 18 months. Construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2023.

While Hamline Midway is closed, SPPL welcomes library users to visit one of the 12 other Saint Paul Public Library locations. Nearby locations include Saint Anthony Park, Merriam Park, Rice Street, and Rondo libraries. Additionally, the Bookmobile will continue to make stops in the Hamline Midway neighborhood, including at Hamline Hi-Rise, Victoria/West Nevada, Lyngblomsten senior residence, and a new weekly stop at Hamline Hancock Rec.

Materials placed on hold can be directed to any library location. Hold lockers are available at nearby Rondo, Rice Street, and George Latimer Central libraries.

The staff members working at Hamline Midway Library prior to its closing will take on new assignments at one of Saint Paul Public Library’s other 12 libraries across Saint Paul. If possible, they will be working at one of the libraries nearby where Hamline Midway Library users my visit while the library is closed for construction.

The city has made a commitment of $8.1 million in CIB funds for Hamline Midway Library, and both options that were presented were designed to fit within the $8.1 million budget.

The 8.1 million in CIB funds for the Hamline Library covers the cost of a building that meets the Library’s goals. The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library are completing a feasibility study to understand the amount they may be able to raise for system-wide capital investments. These funds will go toward much needed renovations of Hayden Heights and Riverview Libraries, as well as toward system-wide investments for Play & Learn spaces and upgrading our technology, especially in public meeting areas.

Overall, sustainability of the new building is an extremely important feature of these projects. Given the community’s and the City’s desire to have a larger, more accessible library, the City believes that a new building is the most sustainable option available that also meets the programmatic needs and goals of the community.

It is not viable for the existing Hamline Midway Library building, even after a potential renovation, to meet B3 Sustainable Building 2030 (SB 2030) Energy Standard and the City of Saint Paul’s Sustainable Building Ordinance.

Embodied carbon of buildings   

“Embodied carbon” refers to the carbon emissions created to extract, manufacture, and transport the materials used in the construction of a building. In the case of wood or other carbon-based building materials, the carbon is literally sequestered in the building for however long it stands. Building a new building rather than re-using an existing building means that new greenhouse gas emissions are created in the extraction, manufacture, and transporting of the new materials.

Importantly, however, and particularly in a relatively small building, it is generally the case that more than 50% of the embodied carbon is in the foundation, as foundations are generally made of concrete and concrete is very carbon intensive. The existing Hamline Midway Library building’s foundation is in bad shape and needs to be at least partially replaced regardless of whether the above-ground portion of the building is renovated or demolished and rebuilt. Given that at least a partial new foundation is required to update the HVAC system, a significant amount of carbon emissions will go into any option for improving this library.

It is also important to note that the City plans to re-use many of the current building’s materials in the new building, including the iconic entry archway and as many of the bricks as possible. Many of the other materials in the building will not go to landfills, including any amount of demolished concrete foundation which would get recycled into aggregate that is used in roadbeds and other similar functions. This recaptures much of the embedded carbon lost in the construction process.

Building operations and carbon emissions    

The current building has stood for about 90 years. If we expect a new library to last as long or even longer, then a very significant amount of the building’s overall carbon footprint will come from the energy used to power, heat, and cool the building each year. The current building wastes a lot of energy because the old walls and roof are poorly insulated, and the structure does not allow for a way to easily insulate the building well. One of the few available methods for better insulating walls (that do not have sufficient cavity space to fill with insultation) is to build an additional wall/envelope all the way around the building.  This is most done on the exterior of a building, which in this case would hide or encase the old building. The building is not insulated, and it would be cost-prohibitive and destructive to the interior features to insulate it. Uninsulated walls significantly hinder energy performance for the life of the building.

The building envelope (walls, roof, and foundation) of a new library can and will be built to a very high energy efficiency standard, dramatically reducing the energy needed to heat and cool the building on a per square foot basis. In addition, The City aims to use very efficient electric heat pump technology and to not use any natural gas to heat the building. An all-electric building can be heated and cooled using carbon-free electricity. Electric heat pump technology is not sufficient in a cold climate like ours unless the buildings is very well insulated.

While Xcel’s electricity fuel mix is about 55% carbon free today, they have committed to reach 85% carbon free electricity by 2030. If the City chooses, we could spend slightly more on the electricity bill to buy 100% renewable and clean wind power.  A new, larger roof will create the opportunity for on-site solar power to be considered as well.

Sustainability and transportation to the building 

A larger facility with a more accessible and functional layout will serve more community members both better and closer to home.  The City learned through the community engagement process that some community members currently travel longer distances to go to other library branches where the accessibility, services, and spaces better meet their needs. This extra movement creates additional carbon emissions through the use of fuels for cars, buses, and light rail trains

The Saint Paul Public Library strives for maximum, equitable accessibility. We want to welcome all patrons through the same pathway and front entrance, not make people who are unable to navigate stairs enter SPPL buildings through a back or side door or require them to go on a longer, separate, exposed path to enter the front door.

The user impact of different entrance paths affects people with mobility challenges every time they use the library, particularly felt based on weather. On rainy days, icy days, and days of extreme heat, people with mobility challenges would need to navigate a long and winding path verses a short, direct route to enter. This is not acceptable or equitable accessibility in a public facility, particularly a public library where access – to space, information, and resources – is central to the overall public mission.

At Saint Paul Public Library we seek to go beyond meeting minimum accommodation requirements (which, as history shows, are likely to become outdated as ADA changes over time) in order to deliver public facilities that have the needs of people with mobility challenges at the center of design. This will ensure maximum accessibility and a public library that all can be used with dignity and ease.

Riverview Library in Saint Paul’s West Side neighborhood is a Carnegie Library and is designated as a historical building.

Despite the City’s objection, Hamline Midway Library has been listed to the National Register of Historic Places after being nominated by a community member.

Hayden Heights Library does not have historical designation.

Libraries serve people. With our investments in library buildings, we prioritize the needs and desires that community members have for their library spaces. As a library, we seek to serve the most people accessibly, safely, and in a building suited for future generations that honors and incorporates history.

All funding proposals submitted to the Capital Investment Budget (CIB) committee must include relevant information from the City's Adopted Comprehensive Plan and other relevant City-approved plans as part of the City's Capital Investment Planning process. This information was included for the Hamline Midway, Hayden Heights, and Riverview Library proposals and is part of the CIB record.

The City’s Capital Investment Budget (CIB) Committee reviewed and approved project funding to fully explore options for expanding Hamline Midway’s library at this site.

Plans for a new library building are in alignment with City values and priorities that inform the City’s Comprehensive Plan, the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan, the Saint Paul Public Library’s Strategic Direction and Facilities Direction plans, and are supported by the professionals at LSE Architects, the City of Saint Paul’s real estate design and construction division, Mayor Carter, Ward 4 Councilmember Mitra Jalali and the majority of City Councilmembers, and many community members. The City’s Comprehensive Plan Policy HP-16 addresses the balance of preservation and new construction. In this case, the analysis supports new development.

Saint Paul Public Library buildings are public buildings and the Saint Paul Public Library is the legal property owner of the Hamline Midway Library according to Ramsey County Property Tax Records.