The City of Campbell will move forward with the construction of a new library after it received more than $5.2 million in grants.
According to the City, the design for the renovation of the library is in the final stages and incorporates critical features made possible with $4,718,450 in additional funding from the California State Library Building Forward program. The state program awards grants to local libraries to address infrastructure and maintenance needs. The City plans to use the funds to add sustainability and safety features to the library, including converting the building into an all-electric facility and adding a new emergency backup generator system in the event of a power outage.
Silicon Valley Clean Energy pledged an additional $500,000 to help eliminate the use of natural gas in the 24,000-square-foot library, which is one of Campbell’s largest operated facilities.
“The injection of an additional $5.2M allows us, among other things, to convert the library to an all-electric facility, putting us one step closer to our vision of a cleaner, greener, energy-efficient city,” said Campbell Vice Mayor and Library JPA Board Member Susan M. Landry in a recent press release.
The project was initially financed through Measure O, a $50 million bond measure Campbell voters approved in 2018. The new grant money allows the City to allocate Measure O dollars towards other design elements of the library including building aesthetics and noise reduction.
The project is expected to go out to bid this spring with construction slated to begin over the summer and will take about a year and a half to complete.
Until the renovations are complete, the library’s most popular materials and core services will be offered to the community at the Campbell Express Library.
For the latest information on the Library and Police Measure O project, visit the City of Campbell website.