‘It is overdue’: What a $6.4 million library renovation will bring to Columbus
Larger spaces for children’s activities, community meetings, reading and relaxation. More computers. Better internet access.
Those are among the intended benefits of a $6.4 million public-private project that will produce a renovated and expanded branch of the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries.
Construction for the new South Columbus Public Library, 2034 S. Lumpkin Road, is expected to start on its current site between South Columbus Elementary School and Eddy Middle School “hopefully before summer” and take 12-14 months to complete, CVL director Alan Harkness told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email.
During construction, the library will operate in the former school at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, on the other side of South Columbus Elementary.
The new library will have approximately 21,000 square feet and about 50 parking spots — roughly double the space of the current library, which is 30 years old.
Harkness praised Hecht Burdeshaw Architects of Columbus for designing a new building that will have more natural light and will be more visible from the street than the current facility.
“We can’t wait to unwrap this gift to the community,” he said.
Reasons for a new South Columbus Public Library
The South Columbus Public Library serves residents in predominantly low-income neighborhoods. For example, 97% of the students attending the adjacent elementary and middle schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2020-21, according to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
For dozens of those students, Harkness said, the library is an after-school haven and a resource for services they don’t get at home.
“A larger facility can help us better manage the flow of kids,” he said. “Between books, programs, activities and staff who care deeply about children, the South Columbus branch cannot currently meet the demand.”
And that demand has grown. According to CVL’s pre-pandemic data, usage of the South Columbus branch increased in the following categories from 2015 to 2019:
- Visitors: from 73,830 to 129,009.
- Wi-fi sessions: from 9,758 (in 2016) to 12,721.
- Program attendance: from 13,808 to 15,396.
- Number of programs: from 453 to 677.
Many adults use the library’s public internet for access to governmental agencies, assistance in applying for jobs and learning computer skills. Out of the seven locations in the CVL system, the South branch is second only to the main branch, the Columbus Public Library, for computer and wi-fi usage among patrons — and the usage would be more if the facility were equipped to provide it, Harkness said.
“This branch helps bridge the digital divide more effectively than anything else in South Columbus,” he said.
In addition to a larger meeting room for community gatherings, the new library will have outdoor spaces for activities.
Simply put, Harkness said, the renovation and expansion of the branch will lift its services to the same level as the city’s other libraries.
“It is overdue,” he said, “and we’re rectifying that.”
Funding for the project comes from:
- The 1% Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax that Muscogee County voters approved in 2015.
- A grant from the Georgia General Assembly.
- The CVL reserve fund.
- Private donations to the Muscogee County Library Foundation. Naming opportunities for parts of the new library are available by calling the foundation at 706-243-2705.
“Our hope is to build a public library branch of which the residents of South Columbus can be proud,” Harkness said. “We appreciated citizen input on our public meetings and want this library to be a destination space in South Columbus.”
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 at 2:18 PM.
