I think everyone understands if the Cedar River building is vacated as a library, it must be repurposed for alternate public use and then maintained and operated at city expense.  However, the library budget does not include any funding to accomplish this, and the city has no revenue earmarked to do so.  The additional millions necessary to accomplish this and then continue operating the “repurposed” structure makes the library move to the West of Piazza location overall far more expensive. The West of Piazza group continues to say the move will be less expensive, yet cannot tell you where the money will come from to renovate the Cedar River building for an Environmental Interpretive Center, or operate it into the future.

Renton didn’t ask the city for an environmental center, nor ask that our library downtown be made smaller and relocated. Voting for West of Piazza essentially approves both, but only pays for one. The outsiders with influence and agendas are the driving force looking to pad their resumes with redevelopment projects, or honor loyalties to others by attempting to force this library move, and are spreading misinformation to accomplish it. KCLS was invited in to provide quality library services, not to run our budget, design our city, nor bully city taxpayers at county taxpayer expense. Many leaders in this city know what is going on and fully support the Cedar River location.

There’s a reason location is an important factor in choosing real estate. You’ll be hard pressed to find many folks who agree a one-third smaller footprint in the downtown central district is a better real estate location than the wide-open, family oriented spaces adjacent to our unique over-the-Cedar River location at Liberty Park. After all the bills are paid, the long-term legacy of this important decision will be something we must live with for decades to come.  A renovated modern library over the Cedar River will be the aesthetically better choice, the financially better choice, and will serve all of Renton far better for years to come. There’s no better place.