Madison seeks contractor for library and community center project

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Bids are open for a new library and community center at Reindahl Park in Madison.

The city of Madison on Thursday issued a bid seeking contractors to build the “Imagination Center at Reindahl Park,” a 17,468-square-foot single story public library and community center on an 87.31-acre site off East Washington Avenue and Portage Road. The indoor-outdoor library will be the first in a Madison park, said Bryan Cooper, principal architect for the city, on social media.

The bid submission time is March 27 at 2 p.m., according to the advertisement. A pre-bid meeting will be held March 3.

“The proposed “Imagination Center at Reindahl Park,” will not be an ordinary library,” city officials said in a project page. “It will be a transformational space designed and directed by the northeast Madison community. The Imagination Center at Reindahl Park will be a place for the community to gather and learn. It will be a safe place for social interaction, civic engagement, and cultural expression. The center will focus on holistic health and expanding economic opportunities for library visitors,” they added.

The project scope calls for general site and building construction, including civil, landscape, architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression, fire alarm, technology and site utilities, city officials said. The project was boosted by a recent Flexible Facilities Program Grant from the state, which needed a review and approval before the bid could be sent out, officials added.

Construction of the new facility is expected to take between 12 and 14 months and the Imagination Center is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The project proposal goes as far back as 2019. Monona-based Joseph Lee and Associates was contracted to provide architectural service to the city. The design team is made up of JLA Architects, Milwaukee-based GRAEF, Madison-based Saiki Design and Madison-based InteriorLOGIC, Inc.