You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but the Santa Barbara Central Library is working on its first impression with an exterior restoration for the historic building.
Scaffolding went up all over the building last week as crews readied to give the building’s façade a paint job, do woodwork restoration and seal cracks on the exterior.
Pedestrian walkways will stay open during the construction as much as possible, and the library services and parking at the Library Lot will be available throughout the project, the city said.
The city contracted with Schmidt and Schmidt Construction, Inc. for the work, and construction hours will be Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., until the end of June.
The main library will be painted a lighter color, almost white, so it looks more like the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, said city project engineer Bradley Klinzing. The new paint scheme is meant to be more in line with the courtyard and surrounding buildings, he said.
The Faulkner Gallery will be painted a slightly darker color than it had been before.
The Historic Landmarks Commission approved a painting design for the exterior with colors that are representative of the Spanish colonial revival style, and will enhance the Central Library’s architecture, the city said.
The building at 40 E. Anapamu St. was built in 1916 and rebuilt in 1925 after major earthquake damage, with the Faulkner Gallery added in 1930.
Its recent addition was a new Children’s Library that opened last year on the building’s lower level, and the city is planning to redo the entrance plaza off Anapamu Street.
The city is also waiting on a building permit to redo the southern entrance, near the city parking lot, to make it wheelchair accessible.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
