On March 1, 2023, the La Grange Park Public Library District received a $574,000 Public Library Construction Act Grant from the Illinois State Library. The library originally applied for the grant in 2021, but the grant funds were not able to be officially awarded until 2023. Local officials, including La Grange Park Village President Jim Discipio, State Representative La Shawn Ford, and Illinois Speaker of the House Chris Welch, were instrumental in securing the award for the library.
The library will use the money to bolster the finances for its upcoming building renovation project, currently scheduled to begin in late spring 2023. Some of the most anticipated aspects of the project, including the construction of three study rooms and the replacement of aging HVAC equipment, would not be possible without these grant funds.
The construction project will be primarily funded from the library’s special reserve fund as well as from the sale of $4.3M of bonds in 2021. Issues with the library’s building envelope which became apparent in 2015 will be addressed, and the library’s interior will be significantly updated to provide modernized services and spaces.
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Board of Library Trustees President Laurie Whitman says, “We are thrilled to have been awarded this grant from the State of Illinois. In addition to making necessary structural repairs in order to maintain the integrity of our library, this generous amount will allow us to complete the full scope of work. We look forward to seeing our plans and designs realized. Our community will benefit for many years to come as we continue to grow our library to meet the needs of all of our residents today as well as into the future.”
