CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Public Library received another $1.1 million in pledges for its downtown expansion and renovation project.
During a press conference Friday, it was announced that The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation pledged to give $1 million over the next 10 years, and that an anonymous donation of $100,000 was given towards the effort as well.
Tom Heywood, president of the Library Foundation of Kanawha County, said that he was ecstatic after receiving the GKVF’s check.
“The Greater Kanawha Valley’s Foundation is the community’s foundation,” he said. “They made one of the lead gifts back in this campaign back in 2005. That gift by its terms, we had to begin construction by a certain period of time, and due to other events we couldn’t do that.”
However, Heywood said that the GKVF said whenever the library was ready to revisit the project; they would be there to support it.
“This, not only the money, helps get us to our goal,” he said. “We’re trying to raise $8 million in this final phase, so not only does this money help propel us that way, but it really helps us attract other gifts both large and small.”
Planned renovations include increasing the size of the library by 1/3.
“We currently have about 60,000 square feet, and we’re going to add 20,000 square feet,” Heywood said. “We’re going to preserve this beautiful, iconic structure, which many people have said is so important to them, to us and our community.”
Heywood also said that the entire interior of the library is going to be renovated and that during construction a temporary library at a different location, to be announced, will be opened.
Michelle Foster, president and CEO of the GKVF, stressed the importance of having the library in the community.
“Libraries are places of contact, community and pride. Not only benefitting users individually, they’re also community hubs bringing people together and connecting them to worlds beyond their communities,” she said.
Right now, Heywood said the campaign isn’t completely out in the open.
“We’re kind of in the quiet phase of our campaign right now. We’ll go public later this year as we try to top this off, but our campaign is going exceedingly well, and I’m highly confident that we will conclude this campaign in 2018 and begin construction next year in 2019.”
Other additions and renovations will include:
- A new main entrance at the corner of Summers and Quarrier Streets
- Large and small meeting rooms for library and public functions that can handle from two to 200 people
- A light-filled, updated 10,000 square feet Children’s Department with space for story time, crafts and other activities
- A “maker” space that will allow patrons to imagine and create
- A new proposed third floor walkway that will be connected to the Summers Street Parking Garage.
Additional information can be found at www.ReimagineYourLibrary.com.
Story by Jordyn Johnson