In June, the Lexington Public Library Board of Trustees voted to buy a building to serve the Hamburg and Richmond Road areas.
The new branch will be at the corner of Palumbo Drive and Man O War Boulevard, in the building formerly occupied by the Jaguar and Land Rover dealership.
The new facility will offer twice the space and 32 more parking spots than currently offered at the Eagle Creek Branch, with additional space available for future needs.
The building which currently houses the Eagle Creek Branch will be sold, and the proceeds will help finance the larger new branch.
A capital campaign through the Lexington Public Library Foundation will help fund the new branch to better serve our community. The financial goal will be determined once the library has finalized renovation plans for the new facility.
The new branch will feature:
• A 25-percent increase in the number of books and other materials.
• Multiple meeting rooms and study rooms, including a larger meeting room.
• Increased parking, from 89 spaces at Eagle Creek to 121 spaces, with room to add more, if necessary.
• Drive-through service, where customers can drop off returns and pick up materials they have placed on hold.
The location of the new branch allows for continued convenience to neighborhoods now served at Eagle Creek while moving closer to the rapidly-growing Hamburg area.
The library purchased the property for $3.995 million. The cost of the purchase and renovation will be funded by the sale of the Eagle Creek property and by private donations to the Lexington Public Library Foundation. The Library Foundation raises private funds for special projects and programs not covered by the library’s general operating budget.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to broaden our services to the community in a cost-effective way,” Director Ann Hammond said. “We want to be good stewards of Lexington’s investment in its libraries.”
The Library Foundation will kick off a capital campaign soon to raise funds for the new branch, with a goal set when project plans are further along.
The most recent new branch for the Lexington Public Library was the Northside Branch on Russell Cave Road, which opened in 2008 and replaced the original Northside Branch next door.
The new branch is expected to open by May 2015 and will replace the existing Eagle Creek Branch at 101 N. Eagle Creek Drive.
It also moves library services closer to the heavily-populated Hamburg area, one of the fastest-growing areas in Lexington.
