IRVING PARK — The fire-damaged Independence Library, closed since late October, will reopen in its existing location in early 2017 after undergoing a gut rehab that will leave the building like new, city officials told residents at a public meeting held to discuss the library's future.

Not good enough, said neighbors, who redoubled their cries for a permanent home for the Independence branch, which has been housed in a series of temporary leased sites since its founding in 1889.

"This can't be the be-all, end-all," Roberta Bole, president of the Friends of Independence Library, said after sitting through the city's presentation Tuesday night.

The Independence branch suffered smoke and water damage when an adjacent building burned, an unfortunate turn of events that some saw as a blessing as disguise — an opportunity to reinvigorate the campaign for a new library.

The Independence branch, 3548 W. Irving Park Road, was damaged in a fire to an adjacent building in October. [All photos DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]

The heavily used library's cramped quarters in a storefront at 3548 W. Irving Park Road — sandwiched amidst a nail salon, laundromat and Quick Mart — have been a bone of contention among residents for decades. Tuesday's news that the city was negotiating a seven-year lease renewal at that address only further fuelled complaints.

"Who wants to go to these old dilapidated facilities?" resident Steve Brown said.

Prior to the arrival of Mary Dempsey as city library commissioner in 1994, a large number of branches in Chicago made their homes in storefronts, much like Independence. Unlike Independence, many have since received major upgrades.

Throughout her 18-year tenure, Dempsey, who was replaced by Brian Bannon in 2012, spearheaded the construction of 44 new library buildings, some of which have opened since her departure.

Albany Park/North Park, Edgewater and Chinatown all boast the type of glittering new 21st Century resources and amenities that Independence patrons have been clamoring for.

The Albany Park branch library, which opened in 2014, is the type of 21st Century facility Independence patrons are clamoring for.

Construction of the $15 million, 16,300-square-foot Albany Park branch, which Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the "new gold standard for Chicago" at its grand opening in 2014, was particularly galling to Independence patrons, given that Albany Park's "old" library was already a freestanding structure built in the 1960s.

"At its worst, the Albany Park Library was better than Independence," Brown said.

Stephen Stults, from the Department of Fleet & Facility Management, which oversees the city's real estate portfolio, assured residents that a rehabbed Independence branch would be a vast improvement over its previous incarnation.

"It's not going to be the 20-year-old library you were in six months ago," said Stults, referencing the number of years Independence has spent at its most recent address.

All materials, furnishings and equipment have been removed from the library and are undergoing cleaning and restoration where possible, or are being replaced if necessary, he said.

The landlord is reinforcing the roof; installing new HVAC and duct work; new electric, plumbing and lighting system; and replacing the carpet, according to Stults.

"All the improvements ... those should have been made a long time ago," responded Ald. Deb Mell (33rd), who has joined forces with Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rose (35th), Ald. Margaret Laurino (39th), Ald. John Arena (45th) and State Rep Jaime Andrade (D-Chicago) to push for a new Independence Library.

Patrons expressed concerns that the 8,900-square-foot library, even if completely refurbished, still won't have upgraded technology or the space to accommodate a community room or teen center, much less room for parents to sit and read with their children.

"On behalf of the community, please don't consider this giving us a new library," said Andrade, who at one point had secured $2 million in state funds to build a new Independence branch.

"We thank you for opening the library back up ... but we want a long-term solution for this community," Andrade said.

Chicago Public Library Commissioner Brian Bannon (r.) met with residents at a meeting to discuss the future of the Independence Library.

Bannon said his first goal was to get Independence reopened as quickly as possible, but he was "definitely interested" in continuing discussions regarding "a larger vision."

But he cautioned that financing a new library or an expansion of the current site would be a challenge.

The Chicago Public Library can't issue bonds, Bannon noted, and has relied on Tax Increment Financing dollars to fund recent construction projects.

While the Independence branch does sit within the Irving-Elston TIF district, that particular district isn't generating any money, Arena said.

"We need to be transparent: There aren't city resources to build a new library," Bannon said. "Until we have the capital resources to build a new library ... let's get this one open."

As the Independence library undergoes renovations, patrons are being pointed to the Albany Park and Mayfair branches, as well as Sulzer Regional Library, for books and programs.

Given that the library serves seven neighborhood schools within walking distance, maintaining accessible programs for students has been a major concern of residents. In response, Chicago Public Library has arranged for nearby Independence Park, 3945 N. Springfield Ave., to serve as the location for the library's summer learning challenge programs, according to Andrea Telli, Chicago Public Library's chief of neighborhood branches.

Nearly 200 residents attended a meeting about the future of the Independence Library.

Albany Park Library's early literacy and learning space provides the type of resources Independence patrons want for their children.

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