Molino Library, Community Center, County Office Building Out For Bids

August 8, 2011

An Escambia County project is now out for bids to renovate the Old Molino School into a community center, museum and library, and to construct a new building to house offices for the tax collector and property appraiser.

seeplansclick.jpgBid solicitations were posted and mailed to potential contractors on last week. A non-mandatory conference at the old Molino School will give contractors a chance to visit the facility on Thursday, and bids will be received until 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 1.

The project’s original plans called for a library, complete with the usual shelves of books, children’s areas and computer terminals. But without funding for daily operations and employee salaries, library plans were first shelved. The county needed thousands more to complete building renovations for a library, including the addition of more structural supports under the building’s 72-year old floor to accommodate thousands of pounds of books.

After $700,000 in local option sales tax (LOST) funds were reprioritized at the request of County Administrator Randy Oliver, an additional $1.8 million was funneled to the project to once again include a library.

That put the total cost for the entire project at $4,389,156.

Pictured top: A conceptual drawing of the Molino School after renovation. Pictured below: A recent photo of the building. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

8 Responses to “Molino Library, Community Center, County Office Building Out For Bids”

  1. Ramona Warhop on August 11th, 2011 9:06 am

    I think it is great that they are not taking the history of this great building away fro the people who love. I when to school there for 9 years, it holds a lot of good memoies for me. I love to go by every time that I get to go home. Thanks for keeping the build and putting it to good use.

  2. Molly on August 9th, 2011 12:43 pm

    Wonderful! I love this building and I am glad that plans are being made to use it for such a great purpose. I worked at the elementary school for several years!

  3. liz on August 8th, 2011 12:39 pm

    Thanks to Commissioner White and the constitutional officers for moving this project forward! I am so thankful they are utilizing the historic building instead of tearing it down or building another one and having it sit empty! Will be nice to use for meetings & events, and there are several people worthy of having the facility named for them.

  4. Me from1st to 8th grade From 1954! on August 8th, 2011 12:38 pm

    This is wonderful our pass kept and used not wasted new is not always better.
    I will be a user of the school after rebuilt. How about snack bar and gift show in lunchroom.Mrs. Harris would like that.Wish I had some of her cake now.

  5. Marshall on August 8th, 2011 12:17 pm

    Not all of this money is for the old school. Some of it is for the new office building for the Tax Collector/Property Appraiser. Also, a renovation of this kind costs a lot of money because it is labor intensive.

  6. Appalled on August 8th, 2011 10:59 am

    $4,389,156!!! I do not understand why they would spend this kind of money on an old building. I’m all for renovating the old school but this needs to be investigated.

  7. jane on August 8th, 2011 9:41 am

    Great! Keep it rolling along, we will get there!

  8. Molino resident on August 8th, 2011 7:19 am

    Good goin’ for our new County administrator! We appreciate you for remembering us up here.