APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Construction is moving right along as the downtown Appleton Public Library undergoes a major renovation.
Officials hosted a tour of the site Thursday, allowing media members to get an inside look at the progress that’s been made at 225 N. Oneida Street.
“A lot of the strategy behind this building was to make it a place that inspired curiosity and wonder and exploration. In the more traditional, older-school mindset of the library, that means browsing the shelves and stumbling on a book that you didn’t really know you were looking for. So we want that to still happen, that doesn’t go away. But we also want you to walk through and stumble on a program or a service that you didn’t know we have,” said Colleen Rortvedt, director of the Appleton Public Library.
The ground level of the library features the commons, conference and study rooms, creation studios, teen areas, an adults collection and the “flexbox” — a hands-on learning and technology space.
The lower level will have a children’s collection, sensory room, programming space, a nursing mothers’ room, learning stairs, a children’s play area and a discovery room.
In the upper level, there will be the upper commons, a non-fiction collection, study rooms, a gallery/display and a community meeting room.
Click here to see floor plans.
According to Rortvedt, the renovated library is being built with longevity in mind. “There’s no reason it can’t last for 100 years,” she said.
Natural lighting is another big emphasis, with plenty of skylights and large windows.
The renovated library is expected to open in early 2025 with an exact date to be determined.
It’s a project that’s been years in the making — one that’s had to overcome everything from budget challenges to moving to several temporary locations.
In May 2022, the Appleton Public Library moved into to its temporary home at an empty Best Buy building on S. Kensington Drive, so renovation work could begin at the downtown library location.
After making a series of revisions, the $40 million project broke ground in July of 2023.
In late 2023, the library had to move again to a different location because its lease was unable to be renewed due to several national tenants moving in.
In the beginning of 2024, the library’s second temporary location at 3000 E. College Avenue opened. This location’s last day open will be Nov. 25. Staff will then begin the weeks-long process of moving into its renovated location.
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