The first signs of a new St. Cloud Public Library appeared Monday morning, when crews began to demolish the former Miller Auto building downtown.

Demolition and removal of the old buildings at the two-block site between 12th and 14th avenues on Minnesota Highway 23 will take at least a week, said Denis Anderson, project manager for W. Gohman Construction Co. of St. Joseph.

Gohman received the $22.5 million award to build the new public library, which will be twice the size of the one it is meant to replace at 405 St. Germain St. The existing library was built in 1979.

Excavation for the new library is expected to begin immediately after the demolition is finished, Anderson said.

"We'll be working through the winter and all of next year," he said. "May 2008 is our target for completion."

The Minnesota Legislature in 2005 authorized a voter-approved half-cent local sales tax to provide up to $30 million for the new library. Another $2 million to buy the Miller site is coming from the city's Civic Center fund balance, on the assumption the Civic Center will someday expand into the old library site.

Gohman's bid came in $2.6 million below the city's $23.6 million construction estimate, allowing the addition of alternate items such as granite fixtures, a copper exterior, rubber flooring, acoustical ceiling tiles, a partial green roof, additional plantings, public art and an automated book conveyance system.

The city also decided to install new utilities, curbs and gutters around the library, at the cost of $700,000. That could make navigation around the library site difficult next year.

For now, construction will force the closure of the southbound lane of 12th Avenue between Highway 23 and St. Germain Street on Wednesday until the project is completed.

The library will continue to serve as the headquarters and distribution center of the Great River Regional Library system, which serves 32 communities in six Central Minnesota counties.