City's Tab for the Downtown Library: $17M and Growing

As the project has stretched on for more than a decade, San Diego's costs have piled up.

» By RANI GUPTA | June 11

It Won't Cost the Taxpayers a Thing

A familiar pitch is being used for proposed projects such as the Convention Center expansion: that the building will pay for itself. It's a pattern that can lead to questionable numbers and unrealistic expectations among residents.

» By RANI GUPTA | April 2

As Library Budget Shrinks, Expansion Work Creeps On

It remains unclear whether new libraries will cause the closure of existing branches, slashed hours or reduced staff -- or if the city will find a way to pay for the libraries.

» By RANI GUPTA | Feb. 15

Exemption a Long-Shot for Schoobrary Supporters

The school district could look to get around a law meant to keep schools standing in earthquakes, but the provision is meant for schools in jails and hospitals.

» By RANI GUPTA | Feb. 4, 2009

Sanders Seeks Sacrifice In Tough Times

The mayor's annual address emphasizes reforms during his tenure, but the city's budget remains precarious in the mayor's fourth speech since promising to fix its financial mess.

» By RANI GUPTA | Jan. 14, 2009

Saving the Economy, One 'Welcome to Vista' Sign at a Time

San Diego's plans for spending billions of dollars of Obama's stimulus package contain civic improvements that wouldn't meet his primary goals -- shoring up ailing infrastructure and creating new jobs.

» By KELLY BENNETT and ROB DAVIS | Jan. 11, 2009

With Time Running Out, Library Supporters Look to Schools

Boosters of the proposed downtown central library hope to enlist the school district to partner on the languishing project as threats to its funding grow nearer.

» By RANI GUPTA | Dec. 18, 2008

Blog Articles on the Library

• OPINION: Is the Main Library Progressive? Part 4: Providing Internet Access to the Masses (June 25, 2009)
• OPINION: New Main Library Progressive? Part II: Warehousing Books (June 24, 2009)
• OPINION: Libraries Progressive? Part 3: As a Public Meeting Space (June 24, 2009)
• OPINION: Strange Management (June 24, 2009)
• OPINION: Are Libraries Really Progressive? (June 23, 2009)
• OPINION: Time to Pull the Plug on the Library (June 9, 2009)
• OPINION: DeMaio Is Not Not in Favor City-Hall-A-Brary (Feb. 10, 2009)
• OPINION: The Five Basics on the Schoobrary and a Peace Offering (Feb. 9, 2009)
• OPINION: Schoobrary Farce; Rational Thinkers Unite! (Feb. 6, 2009)
• OPINION: The Potholes and Palm Trees of the Mayor's Speech (January 15, 2009)
• OPINION: It's a Schoobrary! (Dec. 18, 2008)
• OPINION: Mayor: Economy Killing Downtown Library (Nov. 25, 2008)

Schoobrary in Letters

The Whippersnapper's Look at the Library

The youngin' of voiceofsandiego.org get a grown up view of the downtown library project.

How the Library Became a Schoobrary

Get up to speed on the long road the downtown library plans travelled in the last decade before they came to include a charter high school.

» By RANI GUPTA | June 28

Overseers Remain Wary of Schoobrary

The oversight committee for Proposition S seeks ways to make sure that San Diego Unified can recover its money if the library project sinks.

» By EMILY ALPERT | June 22

Questions Tail Schoobrary As It Gains Political Momentum

A proposal to put a charter school in a library has raised a torrent of questions and could lead to the unusual situation of a school district starting a charter school.

» By RANI GUPTA and EMILY ALPERT | June 19

Donors

• City Shields Donors for Schoobrary (July 1, 2009)
• Library Donor Names Won't Be Revealed (June 25, 2009)
• When Will Library Donors Be Public? (June 23, 2009)
• Potentially Misleading Statements in Library Docs (June 19, 2009)
• Schoobrary Donors Still a Mystery (April 13, 2009)
• Grant Extended for Schoobrary (Feb. 11, 2009)

School District

• School Board Backs Schoobrary (June 23, 2009)
• The Schoobrary and the Labor Pact (June 23, 2009)
• Out of the Loop, In a Foul Mood (June 19, 2009)
• Important Correction (June 19, 2009)
• Schools Committee to Hear About Charterbrary (June 18, 2009)
• Charterbrary Poised for Key Step Forward (June 17, 2009)
• How About a Charterbrary? (June 4, 2009)
• District Drops Idea of Schoobrary Exemption (April 8, 2009)
• School District Asked to Foot Most of Bill for Schoobrary Study (Feb. 6, 2009)
• A Waiver for the Schoobrary? (Feb. 3, 2009)
• 'I Cannot Support That' (Jan. 30, 2009)
• 'Why Should We Pay' (Jan. 30, 2009)
• 'Is There a Need For It?' (Jan. 30, 2009)
• Talkin' Bout the Schoobrary (January 9, 2009)
• Why a High School at the Library? (Dec. 22, 2008)

City Hall

• Council Moves Schoobrary Forward (June 24, 2009)
• Hueso Supports Schoobrary, Frye's Got Questions (June 22, 2009)
• Council Members on the Schoobrary (June 19, 2009)
• Council Talks Charterbrary (June 15, 2009)
• Mayor Wants Talks on New City Hall (June 8, 2009)
• DeMaio Wants Discussion of Library (June 5, 2009)
• City Looking at Library Plans (Feb. 18, 2009)
• Schoobrary Letter MIA (Feb. 2, 2009)
• Who Thought Up the Schoobrary? (Jan. 15, 2009)

Budget

• IBA: City Should Get More for Schoobrary (June 23, 2009)
• What's Going On With the Charterbrary? (June 12, 2009)
• Survey Says... (March 30, 2009)
• Partying Like It's 2002 (Feb. 11)
• Schoobrary Stimulus? (Feb. 10, 2009)
• $20K to Evaluate Schoobrary (Jan. 14, 2009)
• Schoobrary Doesn't Sway Taxpayers Group (January 8, 2009)
• State Wants More Info on Schoobrary (Dec. 25, 2008)
• Schoobrary Construction Costs (Dec. 23, 2008)

Design and Development

• Your Architectural Critiques of the Library (June 23, 2009)
• What Do You Think of the Library's Design? (June 22, 2009)
• Moores and Chilled Water (June 12, 2009)
• Ethics Commission Fines Candidate, Consultant (March 13, 2009)
• City Hall Developer Open to Including Library (March 12, 2009)
• Schoobrary Site Near Fault Line (Feb. 25, 2009)