St. Joseph County Public Library announces 'Our Next Chapter' revitalization project

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The St. Joseph County Public Library held an open house Monday to announce their new "Our Next Chapter Plan", a 10-year revitalization project set to affect all nine branches in the county.

With the downtown branch having completed renovations in 2021, the library board decided to host listening sessions for the community to see which direction patrons want the library to go in the future.

Those listening sessions led to the "Our Next Chapter" plan, which provides updates for the nine branches spread throughout St. Joseph County.

While some branches will receive standard up-keep, like the Francis Branch, set to get a new HVAC unit, other locations like the two on the west side will see far bigger changes.

The plan has the Western and Lasalle branches undergoing a remodel as early as 2025, with the project taking an estimated ten years to complete.

The full master facilities plan for the new project is located here and includes an expected timeline of construction. The website will also provide updates on when a project is "in progress" and when it's in the completion stage.

"Our Next Chapter" is being paid for through a combination of a $6 million rolling bond yet to be approved, the library's operating budget, and rainy day funds.