From Ugly Box To Pretty Library: One Wal-Mart's Civic Transformation It's generally less expensive to acquire and convert an empty bighttp://cheapbrandhandbag.net/le-retour-de-khaled-la-star-incontourn... box store than to acquire a site and build new," he said. "In addition, big box sites usually have ample and convenient parking and rectangular floor plates with high ceilings that lend themselves well to reuse for various types of buildings, one of which is certainly libraries."http://cheapbrandhandbag.net/yuksek-nouveau-single-the-edge/ McAllen paid Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) $5 million for the property, which was developed in 1980, and spent an additional $19 million in renovation costs. In other cities that have constructed libraries recently, the cost of the land and site preparation alone has been double that. Overall, McAllen spent 25 percent to 33 percent less than the average cost of building a library from scratch. In the seven months since the new main branch of the McAllen Main Library was opened, membership increased by 25 percent, according to city officials.http://cheapbrandhandbag.net/the-puma-strikers-50-goals-for-club-an... "Especially now that we're into summer, the librarians say it's like spring break every day in there," said McAllen Deputy City Manager Brent Branham, the city official in charge of overseeing the city's three libraries. "Our goal was that when you walked in to the space, you didn't feel like you were walking simply into an old Wal-Mart with a new fa?ade. It's a testament to our city council that they approved the additional money for what they called the 'wow factor.'"http://cheapbrandhandbag.net/within-juststrumental-living-while-in-... And it is a "wow" library, serving a South Texas metropolitan zone of about 1.7 million people, including McAllen's 130,000 residents - ranked as the poorest metro area in the country with about one in three households below the poverty line. The 124,500 square foot space -- more than two American football fields -- was first stripped of its industrial dropped ceiling and non-supporting interior walls. Then, the structural walls and ceiling were freshened with white paint.http://cheapbrandhandbag.net/american-children-are-being-put-at-ris... The giant floor space was divided into three sections: one for adults, one for children and a third for meeting spaces and staff areas. A laser-cut wood ceiling divides the space in the north-south direction while porous orange elements separate the three areas east-to-west. At the intersection of these two visual dividers is the primary service point, so that it's roughly equal walking distance from any part of the library.http://cheapbrandshoes.net/decouvrez-frere-alessandro-et-telecharge... So-called "mega pendant" signs in bright colors hover over lounge areas designed so that that they can be seen from far away. Patterns and colors were taken from local plants and animals and the migratory species that pass through the area. There's also a café, art gallery and a 180-seat auditorium. The city's computer network is connected there and can be used as a backup IT center if the main network is knocked out in this hurricane-prone region.http://cheapbrandshoes.net/dj-antoinethe-phobia-factor-la-revelatio... "Normally there's a line outside waiting to get in every http://cheapbrandshoes.net/puma-ocean-racing-powered-by-berg-throug...day -- at least 30 to 40 people. It really picks up in the afternoon," said the library's director, Kate Horan. "The design is such is that the colors are engaging and energizing. They make you want to explore different areas. I was in the teen room for a few hours on Thursday night. They were reading, collaborating; a few were watching our current film series."http://cheapbrandshoes.net/living-at-sea-can-be-an-enjoyable-experi... Horan said 73,000 items (mostly books) were checked out of the library last month, or about double the number of items checked out in June of last year from the old main branch. http://cheapbrandshoes.net/oz-the-great-and-powerfultheyre-really-g...