Daytona’s beloved City Island library gets new protections from ravages of flooding – Daytona Beach News-Journal

The Daytona Beach News-Journal

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis tours Daytona library following Hurricane Irma

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis surveys extensive damage to the City Island library after Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Daytona Beach Regional Library perches on a choice spot on City Islandwith a lovely view of the Halifax River.

And its that riverfront view that can occasionally be a problem -- as library patrons discovered after Hurricane Irma in 2017. The library essentially flooded and had to close its doors for eight months while workers removed waterlogged carpet, replaced drywall, painted and generally dried the place out. The fixup cost $1.2 million.

More: Daytona Beach's City Island Library getting flood-proofed with Hurricane Irma money

Looking ahead to the next hurricane, the Volusia County Council last week awarded a $924,000 contract to further improve the library with much-needed flood-proofing and storm-proofing. The contractor will coat walls with a water-repelling solution and install stronger windows and doors that can hold up to wind, rain and high water. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay 90% of the cost and the library will remain open during the work.

City Island Library was sorely missed during its long closure in 2017-2018.These new improvements give it a better chance of coming through the next storm unharmed.

City Island has been a public gathering space since the dawn of the 20th century and there has been a library of some sort in that area since 1909, when winter resident James Gamble, son of the Procter and Gamble Company founder, donated money for its construction.

During the last closure, some were concerned about the future of the current library,built in 1977. They fearedit might be downsized and movedto open City Island for private development. But the repairs after the hurricane and the continued renovations mark a continued county commitment to serving library patrons and drawing foot-traffic to downtown Daytona Beach.

A centrally located library is a vital public resource not only for books, but for access to the internet and community services. And now it can be a help for away-from-the-classroom learning during pandemic times. A little preventative work should help protect it from thenext weather emergency.

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Daytona's beloved City Island library gets new protections from ravages of flooding - Daytona Beach News-Journal