Mission Branch Library Renovation Moves Forward, Mission District, San Francisco

Plans to renovate and expand the Mission Branch Library at 300 Bartlett street are moving forward. The project, located in San Francisco’s Mission District neighborhood, will modernize and improve the 1914-era structure’s functions and restore the original entrance and main staircase and increase its square footage. San Francisco Public Works is responsible for the design.

Mission Library expansion, rendering via SF Public Works

Earlier this week, the Library Commission meeting’s agenda confirmed the following. The project has received the approval of the San Francisco Planning Department’s Architectural Review Committee and, importantly, the Historic Preservation Commission in August. The upcoming milestones will include filing the building permit, expected in October of this year, and construction to commence in May of 2021.

Elevation showcasing proposed landscape additions, rendering via SF Public Works

The decision to move the main entrance and stairwell to the original locations will hopefully increase functionality by working with the building’s existing design. Some new landscaping introduced around the library may also increase its aesthetic draw. Of course, the most significant change will be expanding the building’s west side to provide more space for patrons. The Public Works architects were able to sneak in the new section by building on land already owned by the library, currently occupied by a wide sidewalk.

Community Room, rendering via SF Public Works

The rest of the project will include new solar panels, more bathrooms, consolidation of services for easy accessibility, and replacing mechanical systems. A new room will be made for young adults, and the children’s room will be moved away from the main entrance as per community input. The expanded community room will be able to hold as many as one hundred persons at a time.

Ground floor proposed elevation, rendering via SF Public Works

In full, the planned new building will not be a significant change for the pedestrian outside—even with the extension on Orange Alley. However, for the patrons inside, the contemporary interiors will increase their productivity by making the space purpose-built for the 21st century, flexibility for special events, and a restoration of the beloved high-ceiling second-story reading room.

The project seems to have good odds to go through after receiving critical approval in August by the Historic Preservation Commission. The big question now is if the city can stick to the timeline. If construction does begin May of next year, completion could come as soon as early 2023.

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