While the redevelopment process for the city’s Central Library continues, Middleton-based developer Terrence Wall has asked the library board to reconsider his initial proposal to build a completely new structure at the corner of West Washington Avenue and Henry Street.

Wall, who ran for the Republican nomination for Senate this spring before dropping out in May, wrote a letter to Library Board chair Tripp Widder urging for reconsideration.

Library Board Member Allen Arntsen said Wall’s proposal for a new central branch was more expensive than the current route of rebuilding the existing library at $29.5 million. He added Wall’s design was about 20,000 square feet smaller.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the city is too far underway in redeveloping the current site to switch to Wall’s initial proposal. Verveer said Wall’s plan was for the library to be situated in an office-complex, much like other branch libraries around the city.

“It would be a mistake in my mind to support Wall’s call to interrupt the progress we’ve made,” Verveer said.

The city is currently working through a public process regarding the redevelopment of the current Central Library, said mayoral spokesperson Rachel Strauch-Nelson. She said three meetings have been held since early fall to debate design schematics.

Like Verveer, Strauch-Nelson said the city has already made its decision to pursue remodeling the current library.

Strauch-Nelson said the current redevelopment has been a good, positive process. She said the Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle design team has been working toward a comprehensive design with public input and have continued to hold public meetings throughout the last several months.

Strauch-Nelson said the city did initially pursue building an entirely new Central Library, but the city changed gears after development negotiations fell through.

At the beginning of the process, the city invited private developers to submit proposals for a new Central Library, Verveer said. He said only two companies applied, T. Wall Properties and the Fiore Companies.

Verveer and Arntsen both credited Wall with the solution for considering a private development option for the Central Library. Verveer said the library dilemma faced the city for decades before Wall’s suggestion.

“While we appreciate everything [Wall] did in terms of jump starting the Central Library, we feel pretty good about the project as it’s going right now,” Arntsen said. “We’ve really gotten a lot of library out of the smaller budget.”

Ultimately, Verveer said he did not support Wall’s proposal.

“There are some positives to Wall’s approach but that’s outweighed heavily by the concern that a public library should be a free standing, public building unto itself,” Verveer said. “His proposal is almost fatally flawed because it would treat the Central Library as a tenant in an office building.”

Strauch-Nelson said the redevelopment approach makes sense economically. She added the city is looking forward to see the final design, which will be unveiled at a Dec. 4 meeting.

Verveer said the city has invested a considerable amount of time, energy and money to create a new building from the existing Central Library.

The city has already delayed the Central Library’s groundbreaking until mid-summer most likely, Verveer said. He said switching to a completely different plan, let alone a brand new building, would cause unnecessary setbacks.

Wall could not be reached for comment at press time.