New South Elgin library to be ready in spring
Plans to build a library branch in South Elgin are moving forward, although the project won't be completed this fall - as some had hoped - but will be done by next spring, officials said.
"We had always planned to open by spring, and we want to do this right," said Denise Raleigh, division chief of public relations and communications for the Gail Borden Public Library District.
The library board is expected to approve a contract for architectural drawings with Chicago-based StudioGC Architecture & BIM at its next meeting Tuesday, a move that initially was planned for May. The attorney review process took longer than anticipated, Raleigh said.
"Right now we are showing (the public) preliminary images," she said. "Everything will get serious in a while after the architects start working on plans."
The South Elgin village board approved a site plan and special use permit for the branch, to be housed in a currently empty space at 121 S. McLean Blvd., at its committee of the whole meeting Monday night. The items will be up for final approval by the board Aug. 17, deputy village administrator Megan Golden said.
The project has been a long time coming, South Elgin Trustee Mike Kolodziej said.
"We're very happy to finally have a branch of the library in South Elgin. And the nice thing is, it's not at the expense of the taxpayers. It's not going to increase taxes at all."
The estimated $1.4 million project is made possible by a donation by The Hoffer Foundation of South Elgin, plus additional donors and a yet-to-be determined amount from the library district's reserves, officials said. South Elgin will contribute $90,000 in library impact fees it has collected over the years.
"It's a win-win, and it's really going to serve our community," Kolodziej said.
South Elgin residents and officials have been enthusiastic about the project, Raleigh said.
That includes 240 students who are helping stock the new branch with books by having completed the Gail Borden's summer reading challenge. The Gail Borden Public Library District Foundation pledged to donate a book, up to $25,000 worth, for every South Elgin student who completes the challenge by Aug. 12.
Altogether, 4,021 people have already finished their summer reading this year, she said. "The challenge is working its magic," Raleigh said. "We're just excited that so many more kids are identifying with our South Elgin challenge and the new branch."