NORWALK, Iowa — The city of Norwalk is planning to build a new library amid increasing demand for space and services.
The new Norwalk Easter Library will be located in the Norwalk Central development near the corner of East 18th Street and Chatham Avenue. The city recently entered an agreement with Diligent Development to purchase the space.
Library Director Jean Strable says construction is still a long way away, likely five years in the future. Still, the decision to purchase land is a big step in ensuring the library can accommodate its patrons for years to come.
Last year, more than 72,000 people visited the library.
“The current library is already feeling the squeeze as we often have overflow attendees at our programs and events," Strable said in a statement. "... It is difficult to build a robust collection when we are confined to the shelf space we have.”
In particular, the library has had trouble keeping up with requests for meeting and study rooms. In a press release, the city said the library receives approximately 50 requests for room reservations that cannot be filled due to lack of available space.
The new library will span 40,000 square feet, a major increase from the current building's 11,500 square feet. The library will use that space to include meeting rooms, a conference room, study rooms, spaces to display artwork and makerspace rooms.
The projected cost of the project will be at least $20 million. With that price tag in mind, the library plans to fund the project through grants and fundraising efforts.
The Library Board of Trustees bought the land for the building using a donation from the estate of Patricia Boss Lawrence, a former Norwalk area resident.
"We are extremely grateful for this gift as it allows us to purchase land to kickstart the fundraising and advocacy processes so we can build a library to better serve our quickly expanding community," Strable said.
The city indicated the building's construction will be brought to a referendum for Norwalk voters.
