The City of Hutto is in the process of developing its first library master plan and determining how to expand the library in the coming years.

Antenora Architects and library design consultants 720 Design gave a presentation Feb. 16 during a City Council work session that outlined three options for expanding the Hutto Public Library. The master plan could be adopted by council in March.

The library opened in 2008 and occupies about 1,250 square feet in a former fire station at 205 West St.

Parks and Recreation Director Mike Hemker said the Hutto Library Advisory Board, Friends of the Hutto Public Library and city have created an interlocal agreement to develop a library master plan.

"[This is] trying to set the future of our library and make it a really great place," Hemker said.

The city selected Antenora Architects and 720 Design to develop the plan. A public input session was held in December, and the city also surveyed the Hutto citizens and interested parties about what they wanted in a library.

Principal of Antenora Architects Michael Antenora said the No. 1 feature people requested in the library was a multipurpose meeting room that would seat up to 30 people. Other amenities high on the list included an outdoor plaza, an improved exterior street presence and armchair seating.

The master plan outlines three possible ways the library could be expanded. One option is to renovate the existing 4,500-square-foot facility for an estimated construction cost of about $500,000. Another possibility is to expand the library in two phases—first the 4,500-square-foot space and then to add an additional 1,500 square feet. This would cost about $1 million.

The third option, and the one that the consultants recommended, would be to expand the building all the way to 6,000 square feet for an estimated cost of a little more than $900,000. All three options included work on the parking lot area.

Antenora said the third option would probably accommodate the library's needs for 10 to 12 years.

The document presented at the Feb. 16 meeting was a rough draft of the master plan. Hemker said the plan will go before the library advisory board and Friends of the Hutto Public Library on Feb. 27, and then council could consider approving it in March. The actual renovations to the library would not occur until authorized by council, possibly in 2013 or 2014, he said.

Library Manager Yasmeen Jehangir said the library currently has about 19,000 volumes in its collection and it also hosts classes, children's programs and provides a platform for people in the community to interact.

"This is not just a place for books," she said. "This is a place that brings hearts together."