Schematic designs for a $5.909 million new Washington Public Library on the south side of the square were unveiled by architects, last night. Plans are to renovate the existing Seifert's buildings-which currently house a Marion Avenue Baptist Church annex and a fitness club-into a three-floor, multi-use building.
      Washington library director Patrick Finney said there is no final timeline for completion of the project, which will be driven primarily by private donations and a fund-raising effort.
      OPN Architects of Cedar Rapids estimated a $4.7 million construction cost for the 33,000 square foot project, which does not include architectural and engineering fees and a contingency fund. The estimate puts the library project in a middle range compared to other library project costs, the architects said, at $140 per square foot for the first and second floor. In comparison, the small remodeling job at Belmond had a construction cost of $76 per square foot, and a renovation job at Traer cost $184 per square foot.
      Currently, said the architects, the impact of Hurricane Katrina could be expected to bump up the Washington estimate as much as $10 per square foot, however, the surge in construction costs nationwide could recede by the time the Washington project is bid.