Phoenix officials unsure when library can reopen
Phoenix officials have no time line for when they expect to reopen Burton Barr Central Library after the building was severely damaged in a powerful weekend monsoon storm.
A massive clean-up effort was underway Monday as the city worked to dry out the building and assess what books and equipment was ruined. About 200 employees have been reassigned to other libraries.
But city officials released few other new details. The city has not given an estimate for the potential cost of the damage, but did confirm its property insurer is investigating the loss.
The five-story library flooded Saturday night when the storm caused a fire sprinkler pipe to burst, officials said. Water cascaded from the roof onto bookshelves and quickly spread through the building.
Another monsoon storm tore through the Valley on Sunday night, but library spokeswoman Lee Franklin said the building sustained “no further damage” from that storm.
Now, the city is focused on restoring service at the library, an architectural focal point of the downtown area that opened in 1995 on Central Avenue near McDowell Road.
“Burton Bar Central Library is the heart of our community, it’s the heart of our library community...a very, very important and treasured asset,” said Rita Hamilton, the city’s head librarian.
Thousands of books were drenched in the downpour that started in the building’s northwest corner, but Franklin said much of the library’s collection was spared. Little water also reached its rare book collection and historic Arizona archives.
Assistant Phoenix Fire Chief Scott Krushak said the library was up-todate in all codes and fire inspections and nothing from those inspections would have led the city to believe something was at risk of breaking in a storm.
Fire Capt. Steve Beuerlein was
among the first responders who rushed to the library Saturday night after an emergency alarm sounded.
“You’ve always think you’ve seen it all,” said Beuerlein, a 31-year veteran. “I’d never seen anything like this.”
At first, he said, the firefighters couldn’t figure out where the water was coming from.
Beuerlein and others scaled a maintenance ladder to inspect the roof, thinking there must be a leak but there didn’t appear to be a break in the roof’s membrane. But the metal and concrete-tile roof was so damaged, it looked like “rolling hills.”
City officials said the storm lifted the building’s roof and caused it to move in a wave-like fashion. The sprinkler line broke when the roof slammed back down.
At least one city leader, Councilman Sal DiCiccio, is questioning whether the building’s architect or contractors could be liable for a “significant design oversight.” “While I understand it is still very early in the investigation, I would like to inquire as to whether or not there is potentially any liability for the architect/ contractors in the Burton Barr incident,” DiCiccio wrote in a letter to City Attorney Brad Holm.
DiCiccio posted the letter on Facebook. He questioned why, if the building’s flexible roof is designed to move in a storm, was its fire suppression system not designed to also flex or attached differently so movement of the roof would not damage the sprinklers.
Phoenix architect Will Bruder, who designed the library, referred questions about DiCiccio’s post to the city. On Sunday, he said the building’s roof had performed as designed.
City spokeswoman Julie Watters released a statement Monday night regarding the issue.
“The city’s property insurer is investigating the loss,” Watters wrote. “They will prepare a report of the causes of the flooding. We’ll get a copy of the report and will determine the city’s options at that point.”
Republic reporter Yihyun Jeong contributed to this article.