Public libraries have been in the news lately but not for expansion or brand new sites. Construction of the new Foley Public Library and community center is set to commence following the approval of a bid by the City Council. During a meeting held on Monday, November 18th, the council voted in favor of awarding the $17.99 million contract to White-Spunner Construction. The new facility will not only serve as a library but also function as a community hub with various amenities for public use.

Kate Norris, library director, said the bid was less than expected, resulting in savings for the city.

“We are happy with where the bid came in," she said. “We had originally planned this project to be about $22 million.”

The bid does not include some additional costs, such as furniture, audiovisual equipment or architectural fees.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the total price of the project will still be less than projected.

“It will still be significantly under, even after we buy the furniture and all the others will still be under what we anticipated,” Hellmich said. “That right there will be a step toward watching what we do this year because this was planned in the budget at $22 million.”

Hellmich praised city staff members who have been working on the project for more than a year.

“It has taken a lot of work to get to this point,” Hellmich said. “We had a lot of very good bids. I was very proud of that. We had something that came in pretty close. So it worked out really well.”

The library will be constructed on South Chicago Street next to the Foley Dog Park. 

The new two-story facility will be about 40,000 square feet in size, almost twice the size of the current library next to City Hall. 

The library building will also be a community center, with meeting space, an auditorium, computer labs and study rooms, as well as a bookstore. The new building will also have an expanded children's area and a multipurpose room that can serve as a meeting space and auditorium. 

Other facilities planned for the new library include a STEAM-STEM lab and spaces for programs such as special-needs activities.