Tuscaloosa Library Nears End of Race to Find Funds For Roof Repair at Main Branch

The roof of the Tuscaloosa Public Library's main branch on Jack Warner Parkway is almost certain to get some desperately needed repairs as the three biggest governments in the area seem poised to help fund the project.

As the Tuscaloosa Thread first reported in January, the library is in urgent need of more funding across the board, but the most pressing problem is the roof, which is currently experiencing around a dozen active water leaks.

Leaders at the library have been lobbying the city of Tuscaloosa, the city of Northport and the Tuscaloosa County Commission for money to get the job done before the leaks lead to worse problems like mold and structural damage.

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In January, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox recommended that the three governments should chip in $5 million for the project, with costs split according to population -- 44 percent from the city, 42 percent from the county and the final 14 percent from Northport.

Now it seems certain that the project will be funded along those lines, although only half of the $5 million Maddox floated earlier this year.

On Monday, the Northport city council voted to pitch in $348,000 for the repairs. The next night, the Tuscaloosa city council passed a resolution committing another $1.1 million to the cause.

The Tuscaloosa County Commission met Wednesday morning and heard a presentation from library leaders asking for funding and the four elected commissions appear ready to commit the last $1 million or so required for the repairs. They said Wednesday, though, that they could not do so during the same meeting where they heard the pitch from TPL.

The county commission pledged to take the matter up again the next time they meet, two weeks from today on May 17th.

For updates on the situation as they develop, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.