The council's direction came at a June 7 meeting after the Library Task Force recommended two possible locations for the library. One proposed site was within the Carillon Parc development at the northeast intersection of SH 114 and White Chapel Boulevard. The other possible site was the location of the former senior activity center on Parkwood Drive.
Stacey Black, the city's senior director of human resources, has been working with the task force as it narrowed the possible locations to a final recommendation.
"It's important to note that the task force believes that there's no perfect location for the site of the future library, but either one of these would accommodate such a facility," she told council.
A third location considered by the task force was at the northwest corner of White Chapel Boulevard and Unity Way within Bicentennial Park. But that location did not score as well as the other two, according to the task force's report.
Public response in recent months also favored the Carillon Parc location over the other two proposed sites. Of 296 public comment cards submitted to the city, 57% favored the mixed-use development. The Parkwood Drive site came in second at 35%, and the Bicentennial Park site received support from 6%. Another 2% wanted the library to stay within Southlake Town Square, according to responses.
City Council members also favored including a multipurpose performing arts center along with the new library, which is proposed to be about 30,000 square feet. The existing public library on the first floor of Town Hall has 10,240 square feet.
The direction from council kicks off the next stage of work as the task force hones its proposal on what amenities to include in a new library and how to pay for it. City staff will also be working with the developers of Carillon Parc, who have offered to donate land within their project for a public library.
"Your work is far from done," Mayor John Huffman told the task force.
John Terrell, a former Southlake mayor and one of Carillon Parc's developers, told council June 7 that he and his partners would be excited to partner with the city on a new library project.
"If Carillon is selected, we will work hand in hand to the mutual benefit of our community to make this an absolute knockout development with this library and performing arts facility as a centerpiece," he said.
