A $3.8 million land purchase is one of the many portions of the Natrona County Public Library building costs that total close to $50 million.

The land, currently owned by Casper Redevelopment Company LLC, is 8.8 acres nestled between the North Platte River, First Street and downtown.

The library board of trustees voted recently to ask the citizens of Natrona County for $43.25 million from a temporary sixth-cent sales tax.

If four of the six municipalities in Natrona County, along with the county itself, support the project, it may appear on the November ballot. If it's approved, library director Bill Nelson said, it will take about 27 months of the penny tax to total the needed amount.

In addition to the land, the $48.25 million total includes roughly $30 million in construction and $2.5 million in furniture and shelving.

It also includes a 5 percent contingency fee of $1.9 million, which allows for changes or unanticipated expenses during the process.

"We are making estimates for things that will occur 20 months or two years from now," Nelson said. "We are really doing a lot of background at this point."

A $5 million allotment for operation and maintenance will run the library for at least five years, he said. If approved and built, the library may add another 20 people to the existing staff of 36. Even though the building will be three times as large as the current facility, the efficiency of the proposed building will require less staffing.

Nelson said a new facility is needed for more meeting space, specialty rooms, youth services and parking.

If built, the new library will measure at about 96,000 square feet, compared to the current 31,000-square-foot building that sits on 1.1 acres.

Contact city reporter Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com

Breakdown of costs

* Construction: $30,350,000

* Land acquisition: $3,762,000

* Architect: $1,978,820

* Books and materials: $1,600,000

* Shelving, equipment and furniture: $2,486,000

* Fees and consultants: $1,128,755

* Contingency fee of 5 percent: $1,941,079

* Operation and maintenance: $5,000,000

* Total project: $48,246,654

* Building sale and private contributions: $5,000,000

* Ballot request: $43,246,654

* Construction: $30,350,000

* Land acquisition: $3,762,000

* Architect: $1,978,820

* Books and materials: $1,600,000

* Shelving, equipment and furniture: $2,486,000

* Fees and consultants: $1,128,755

* Contingency fee of 5 percent: $1,941,079

* Operation and maintenance: $5,000,000

* Total project: $48,246,654

* Building sale and private contributions: $5,000,000

* Ballot request: $43,246,654]]->