FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — Just off the Fayetteville Square progress is being made on the expansion of the Fayetteville Public Library.
Construction began in March on the more than 82,000 square foot expansion to the library. So far, the library has never closed its doors and they are hoping to keep it that way.
"I think having more space and more space for the services that are offered at this library. Just being able to double in size and have that space and having multiple different people come for multiple different uses, I think it will be really good," said resident Angela Danovi.
Danovi is just one of the many people who are excited to see the library grow.
"It’s fulfilling in that we wanted to bring this expansion to the community for a long time, five years or more. We talked a lot about it. We’ve gone to the polls and the community has endorsed and supported our project," said Executive Director David Johnson.
Johnson says the expansion will double the size of the youth services center, taking it to 32,000 square feet. It will also add a multipurpose room, a teaching kitchen and a big innovation center.
"All of those things we promised the community, we are ready to deliver," Johnson said. "We are proud to say that we are on time and we are on budget and everything that we said we would do is still in the scope of the project."
Johnson says the next part of the project is the construction crew building out the shell of concrete and steel.
"Then we will be bidding out the work that will put in all the carpet and paint and all the interior finishings. We are on track to be open in the fall of 2020," Johnson said.
About 185 people visit the library every hour, which is close to more than 600,000 people a year, making it evident this expansion is needed.
The new addition sits on a piece of land that used to be the old hospital, which was torn down last July.