From January to April 1982, an "ad hoc" planning committee reviewed the planning documents; the committee submitted a tentative report in mid-April in which it recommended an addition with a minimum capacity of 750,000 volumes and 1,000 to 3,000 seats. On April 1, the firm of Six Associates, Inc. of Asheville was selected as the project architect. Detailed planning began in late May, at which time all previous concepts for the addition were dismissed. On May 29, the architects proposed a plan for an innovative expansion from both the south and east sides of the building; the proposal would incorporate room for over 2 million volumes and nearly 3,000 seats. However, the proposal was ultimately considered too costly and ambitious. A modified plan, in which only the south addition would be built, was approved in 1984 and thoroughly worked out by August 1985; under the plan, the 80,000 square-foot addition would contain bookstacks for an additional 550,000 volumes, a main ground-floor entrance from the Brickyard, a reading room to the right of the entrance, a wide staircase sweeping up to the first floor of the original tower and the circulation desk and a balcony overlooking the reading room.