$10.5M Plainfield Library Renovations To Start In May

PLAINFIELD, IL — The Plainfield Area Public Library is about to undergo a $10.5 million addition and renovation, its first since 1997.

Construction will include replacing the carpet, updating furniture, creating a new entry and lobby, relocating a public meeting room upstairs, enlarging the Youth Services program room, creating a new teen area and creating a pick-up window, according to renderings.

More parking is also planned, taking space from either one of the library-owned residential properties off Old Route 66 or the backyards of two residential properties.

The library will be closed from April 29 to May 12 to prepare for renovations, which will start the week of May 13 and are expected to take about a year, officials said. The outdoor book drop-off and grab-and-go lockers will remain accessible during the closure.

"Back then, our community came here to check out books and conduct research," library staff wrote on the website. "Today, our patrons still check out books, but they also use our computers and WiFi, attend programs, meet their friends, attend our events and much more. As the Library continues to change, it's important that the Library evolves to best serve our community."

The library will self-fun the project using $7.55 million and savings from its capital reserve fund. Plainfield residents' taxes won't be increased as a result, and the bonds will be paid back within 12 years.

To save money for the project, library officials said they made decisions in 2017 to reduce hours, eliminate positions and postpone building improvements.