COLUMBUS—Columbus Metropolitan Library’s (CML) Board of Trustees last week approved the architects for four additional building projects:
- A Barnett Branch renovation and expansion (Schooley Caldwell and Evoke Studio)
- A Linden Branch renovation and expansion (Moody Nolan)
- A new Canal Winchester Branch at a new site (Bostwick Design Partnership)
- A new Marion-Franklin Branch at a new site (Schooley Caldwell and Evoke Studio)
These four projects represent a continuation of Phase II of CML’s 2020 Vision Plan, which was developed in 2009 to address and prioritize the needs of its aging locations and the evolving community demands upon them. Phase I renovated or rebuilt 10 of CML’s 23 locations, including its Main Library. Phase II is currently renovating or rebuilding four additional branches. The new Karl Road Branch and transformed Hilltop Branch opened in 2021. The new Gahanna Branch is scheduled to open in 2023 and the new Reynoldsburg Branch is scheduled to open in 2023 or 2024. The success so far of both phases has prompted library leaders to look ahead to additional building and community needs throughout the CML service area.
The four buildings were identified due to their age and/or the growing needs of the communities they serve. Another key factor in the decision is rapid population growth in central Ohio that is exceeding recent estimates by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC).
CML’s 2020 Vision Plan is possible due to:
- CML’s track record of fiscal responsibility
- CML’s stewardship of taxpayer dollars
- The overwhelming community support CML received during its 2010 levy campaign
- The overwhelming support the CML Foundation received during its Great Libraries Create capital fundraising campaign
Great libraries create stronger communities, and each CML location is an essential hub that reflects the unique needs of the neighborhood it serves. Some of the library’s 23 locations are decades old and inadequate to meet the demands of a growing 21st century community. CML will continue to invest in and refresh those library locations not included in its building program to meet its customers’ needs.
The aspirational building program is a multi-phased comprehensive blueprint that reinvents and revitalizes the entire 600,000 square feet maintained by the library.
In addition to being a vital community asset, Columbus Metropolitan Library strives to minimize its environmental footprint. With each new building or renovation project, CML plans to use sustainable building materials, incorporate glass for natural light to reduce energy costs and introduce other design and building elements friendly to the natural environment.
Visit columbuslibrary.org for more information and to track progress of CML’s ambitious building program.
