Project overview
Vanir provided construction management services to the City of Long Beach for the Michelle Obama Branch Library. The new single-story library is certified LEED Silver and serves 90,000 residents and 18 schools. The previous library serving this entire population was over three and a half times smaller at only 6,800 square feet.
The new library was constructed on the site of the former Atlantic Theater, a historic structure and city landmark dating back to 1942. Residents of the Long Beach community considered the theater’s 75-foot tower and its tremendous diamond-lit finial to be one of the area’s most iconic pieces. Through the City of Long Beach and Vanir’s collaboration, the original spire was restored, preserving a piece of the theater’s architecture and its cultural significance to the community.
