Carmel Clay Public Library prepares for grand reopening after 2 years of renovations
CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — Staff at the Carmel Clay Public Library were preparing Friday to reopen the library on Saturday after two years of renovations.
Bob Swanay, the director of the library, says the library moved to its current location on Main Street in 1999.
In October 2020, construction crews broke ground for renovations at that same location.
“You look at the historical beat. There was a new version of the library that was created in 1972. That library got renovated in 1986,” Swanay said. “We left that library for a larger library, which was this building, in 1999. This is the first major update we’ve had since 1999. In a sense, we’re right on schedule.”
In the fall of 2020, the library relocated to an old Marsh supermarket, where it stayed for the duration of the renovation process.
“We moved the library to a much small location,” Swanay said. “It was an old grocery store in Merchants’ Square.”
The renovations project cost $40 million, according to Swanay.
“We issued bonds in 2019 and had a reserve balance, so this didn’t impact the tax rate,” Swanay said.
New amenities for the library include a digital media lab, a parking garage, and a skybridge that enters the library from the second floor.
Saturday’s grand reopening starts at 8:30 a.m. with a ribbon cutting. Doors open at 9 a.m.