x
Breaking News
More () »

Fayetteville Library Receives Millions Of Dollars For Expansion Project

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM)– The Fayetteville Library is one step closer to an expansion project after the city council appropriated $26.9 million Monday night. D...

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM)-- The Fayetteville Library is one step closer to an expansion project after the city council appropriated $26.9 million Monday night.

David Johnson, the library's executive director, said that the money came from the property mill increase the city approved last year.

The amount they received was more than what they expected to get, but is still not enough to fund the entire project.

Johnson said they will soon start fundraising for the rest of the money they need.

With this money in the bank though, they can start working on demolishing the old hospital just next door to the library.

“We have an asbestos abatement project we’re going to be entering into in the next month I would say, four weeks," Johnson said. "Then shortly after that we plan on demolishing the city hospital property and kind of wiping the slate clean so that we can expand to the south.”

He said he is excited to finally start giving back to the community that gave them so much.

Johnson said this library is the community's and once a contract with an architect is approved by the city, they will have their chance to speak up.

“Then we will begin the public input sessions and asking the community to come in and tell us what exactly are the new items they want to see in the library and how do we want to design it," Johnson said.

He continued to say that none of this progress would have been possible without the help from the public.

Crews will be in and out of the hospital in a few weeks and demolition will take place a few months after that.

They hope to have everything done sometime in 2020.

Before You Leave, Check This Out