Last week the West Hollywood City Council approved moving forward with the second phase of its 25th Anniversary Capital Project, which includes the expansion of West Hollywood Park, 3.5 acres of new and enhanced landscaping and entrance gardens, as well as the demolition of both the existing library building and the top parking lot.

The Capital Project is a long-term civic and community project that will rehabilitate the city library and public spaces around the West Hollywood Park complex, on Santa Monica and San Vicente Boulevards.

Demolition and construction which could start by 2012, and involve removing the angled street parking along San Vicente Boulevard and the upper parking lot, which will also be turned into a greenway. The phase will include moving the park’s boundary which will be moved about 20 feet to the east.

In an effort to stay within the budget, the city council upheld a staff recommendation to not approve the West Hollywood Auditorium improvements such as the re-roofing, modification of the auditorium and outside ramp walls and security gates, totaling $680,000.  The project’s consultant will later determine whether the improvements can be absorbed into the current budget. In addition,  a five-level parking garage, with three tennis courts will be located on the roof.

A new, state-of-the-art library, with public meeting rooms and a 91-space parking garage, a community center, computer rooms, and a new cable access television studio, is 70 percent complete. It is a LEED silver certified “green” building that will use solar power and energy efficient lighting and heating systems. The library is scheduled to open in fall 2011.

The overall Capital Project is on time and under budget, said Jeff Huffer, the economic development manager for the City of West Hollywood. The project will cost approximately $64 million, with the city funding approximately $54 million. A private group known as the West Hollywood Library Fund, is in the process of raising an additional $10 million.

For more information, visit www.weho.org/capitalproject.