Capital Improvement Program, Upper Arlington Public Library

The Call: A Three-Branch System That Needed Both Planned Improvements and Emergency Response

Upper Arlington Public Library operates three branches that the community depends on every day. The library’s capital improvement needs spanned multiple locations and ranged from planned to unplanned. The main branch wanted a new reading room to expand patron spaces. That was part of the plan. Then a car struck the book drop at the main branch, creating damage that had to be repaired immediately. And water infiltration was discovered at the Miller Park branch, threatening the building envelope and requiring remediation before the damage could spread. The library’s leadership needed every project handled on a public budget, at the right branch, without disrupting services at any location, and with the same level of discipline whether the project was planned months in advance or the result of a car hitting the building.

A Partner Who Handles Both the Expected and the Unexpected, at Any Branch

Managing capital improvements across a multi-branch library system requires a partner who can coordinate planned work at one location while responding to emergencies at another, all without disrupting services anywhere. Emergency repairs have to be fast, but they also have to be done right. And planned improvements cannot be deferred every time an emergency at a different branch consumes attention. Triad Facility Solutions provided integrated design-build execution for select projects, streamlining delivery and protecting the budget across locations.

The Work That Kept Every Branch Performing

At the main branch, the new reading room was designed and delivered as a planned improvement, adding a space that expanded the library’s patron offerings and enhanced the experience for visitors.

Also at the main branch, when a car struck the book drop, the emergency repair was handled with the same discipline as the planned reading room project. The damage was assessed. The repair was designed. And the work was executed properly, restoring the book drop and addressing the structural damage without cutting corners.

At the Miller Park branch, water infiltration threatening the building envelope was identified, the source located, and the remediation designed and executed to protect the building and prevent further damage. Building envelope issues left unaddressed grow more costly over time. The library’s leadership chose to act rather than wait.

Throughout all of the capital improvement work, library services continued without disruption at every branch. Patrons used every location while the planned improvements, the emergency repairs, and the envelope remediation were all being delivered.

A Library System That Handled Everything Across Every Branch Without Missing a Beat

Upper Arlington Public Library now has a new reading room at the main branch, a repaired book drop at the main branch, and a remediated building envelope at the Miller Park branch. The planned improvements enhanced the patron experience. The emergency repairs were handled with discipline. The building envelopes are protected. TFS design-build was deployed for select projects to streamline delivery. And library services continued at every branch throughout without disruption. The library’s leadership demonstrated that a multi-branch community institution can handle both the expected and the unexpected, at any location, with equal rigor on a public budget.