Construction will start on a $25.2 million expansion and renovation of the public library on East Olive Street in downtown Bloomington. This will be the second expansion since the library was built in 1976 even though the population in Bloomington has risen significantly.
The Pantagraph reports that representatives from the Illinois State Library, the Golden Prairie Public Library District, the Bloomington Public Library Board of Trustees and the Bloomington Public Library Foundation Board were in attendance at the recent ground breaking.
During the ceremony, Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe spoke about the importance of library services such as internet access and training programs, while mentioning his children, who use both the Bloomington and Normal public libraries.
The project will consist of:
- Adding 21,339 square feet of space to the current facility at 205 E. Olive St.
- Renovating the existing 57,394 square feet
- Construction of a second-level structure to the parking lot
- Add 91 parking spaces
- Add a partial third floor to the library
- The addition of a permanent drive-thru
- A second entrance created facing Olive Street
For each $1 donated to the Bloomington Public Library expansion, library officials plan to add one tile to a 40 by 30 inch mosaic to be displayed once the expansion is completed.
Indoor portions of the project will include:
- Increasing the number of digital spaces while upgrading Wi-Fi capabilities
- Adding electrical outlets
- Increasing the number of study rooms from one to nine
- Adding two audio recording studios
- Introducing a computer lab
- Adding three community rooms that can open up into one larger room
For students and families, an innovation lab will be created to work on STEAM skills and a Discovery Zone for children to interact with new activities or topics alongside two large children's programming spaces, a sensory-friendly room, a nursing nook, wider aisles and more accessible shelving.
Julian Westerhout, president of the Bloomington Public Library Board of Trustees, stated that the additional space and new services will help the library adapt and be more flexible in offering young people and adults various opportunities to create and learn.
"Time doesn't stand still. Almost every day, the library staff encounters situations where we would like to have a slightly different collection or a bigger collection of materials, books, media or different opportunities for organizations to come in. A space that was built in 1976 isn't really designed for that."
President of Bloomington Public Library Board of Trustees | Julian Westerhout
Funding sources for the project include a $5.68 million grant from the state Public Library Construction Act Grant. The library is using $4.1 million in reserve funds for the project and has an additional $1.25 million in donations from the community.
WGLT Local News states that the City of Bloomington also approved issuing a $14.2 million obligation bond, with the library expected to pay $1 million annually over the next 20 years as part of the bond's related debt services.
There is still about 2%, or approximately $600,000 left to be funded for the project, with organizers fundraising to meet that amount.
Felmley-Dickerson Co. of Bloomington will serve as general contractor, with Phase 1 of the project set to run through May 2023.
Phase 1 will include:
- Renovating the west half of the current building
- Adding the three-floor addition on the library's west side
- Repurposing the existing first-floor parking to become part of the library
Phase 2 will focus on the east side of the building and construction is slated to begin sometime between June and September 2023.
The Pantagraph reports that the library will continue to offer services to the community during construction. However, parking will be reduced at times and portions of the library's collection will become temporarily unavailable. Copy machines and public computers may be relocated to other parts of the building during construction.
The 1976 building was designed for a population of 41,000 people. In 2006, the library increased space by 25% to improve accessibility and programing, but the city's population has grown by 92%.