BOISE, Idaho — Boise Mayor Lauren McLean wants a complete reset on a proposed project to build a new downtown library.
On Thursday, McLean had multiple meetings with library board members and other stakeholders to discuss the best way to move forward with the project.
The library was a major topic of discussion leading up to the 2019 Boise mayoral election.
Many voters faulted the Bieter administration for signing off on a large project that would cost taxpayer money, without first getting voter approval.
Under the previous plans, originally approved in December 2018, the new downtown library would have cost $85 million. The original design would have demolished the current library and replaced it with a more modern new four-story building. It would have included up to 300 parking spaces and a Center for Arts and History.
McLean replaced Bieter in office in January and since then, she has taken a step back from the project.
“What we discussed [Thursday] was a reset of the project,” she told KTVB. "We need to rebuild the trust of the public, trust of the stakeholders, hear from the public about what they believe is important in a civic building and a library.”
McLean said she is largely in favor of the library expansion and recognizes there is a need for it. But she also recognizes the public wants to have a voice in it.
“I’ve been clear that I intend to honor the will of the people and Boiseans said resoundingly, that they want an opportunity to vote on a library,” she said.
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The group Boise Working Together was behind the petitions to put a new ordinance on the ballot that would require voter approval before spending taxpayer money on large city projects, like a library or sports stadium.
McLean said because she wants to move forward with the library, but also honor the petition, city legal staff will be working closely with Boise Working Together to accomplish both goals.
Margo Healy, president of the library board of trustees, said she's happy McLean is being thorough and involving so many different people in the discussion.
“We thought we were working together," she said. "That was the big disappointment in the last two years. We had done public meetings, we just hadn’t done it well enough. We surprised people and so there was some pushback.
“We’re confident that we can work together and we’ll go forward and do a better job this time,” Healy added.
According to McLean, the next steps involve city staff looking at all options for what would be most cost-effective for a new library - renovating the current one, or building a new facility from the ground up.
Once a plan is better formulated, McLean said it will be brought before the public for comment. But right now, the city is nowhere close to that point.
“I know that we can have a downtown library that is celebrated by the community with a ballot measure and receive 50% plus one votes of the community if we do it right from the beginning with the public engagement process and rebuild the trust,” she said.