Elk Grove library to open this fall after relocation. Here’s what it features
After more than five years of planning, Elk Grove’s main library will relocate to a larger site this fall.
Elk Grove Library, currently located at 8900 Elk Grove Blvd., is relocating one mile east to 9260 Elk Grove Blvd. and gaining about 4,000 square feet of space and nearly double the parking.
Sydney Robertson, a spokesperson for the city of Elk Grove, said construction on the new site is expected to be completed in June, with an opening celebration planned for September.
The new library will include a children’s space with an outdoor patio; a teen space; a community room; two study rooms; a makerspace, which can include sewing machines, craft supplies, musical instruments and 3D printers; and a “library of things,” with items available for checkout such as gardening tools, power tools, kitchen equipment and musical equipment, according to the Sacramento Public Library, which operates libraries in Sacramento County.
The current location, near Elk Grove Boulevard and Elk Grove Florin Road, was purchased by the city in 2006. The two-story building totals 13,875 square feet with 45 parking spaces, according to City Council documents.
“Over time, customer feedback regarding the location, size, and accessibility of the facility has been less than desirable, as have the high maintenance costs,” the 2023 City Council report on the library reads.
The new site was a former Rite Aid Pharmacy that closed in 2019. The city purchased the 18,147 square-foot site for $3 million in January 2021.
What the new Elk Grove library costs
The total cost of the new library’s design and construction is $15.3 million, according to Robertson.
More than $7 million of the funding comes from state grants awarded in 2022, according to the city. Additional funding comes from Sacramento Public Library Fund revenues, the Capital Facilities Fee Program and the American Rescue Plan Act, Robertson said.
More libraries in Elk Grove?
A 2018 study on library and cultural arts needs in Elk Grove recommended adding another library at District56. Robertson said that was “envisioned as part of a shared facility with a future performing arts center.”
“Space has been reserved for this purpose, though no work has been undertaken since 2016,” Robertson said.
The 2018 study also recommended that the library branch located at Franklin High School be “repurposed,” as it is “not well configured” and has “poor operational characteristics.” Robertson said no changes have been made to that location at this time.
The future of the old Elk Grove library site
The future of the old library building has not yet been decided.
The city is seeking residents’ feedback on what to do with the building. There will be workshops and discussions throughout the year with students from nearby schools, as well as residents and business owners, Robertson said.
“The goal is to collaborate with the community to design a space that becomes a new and valued community amenity,” Robertson said.
