The small library in Walton will soon become a 25,000-square-foot community hub.
A new library location is in the planning stages within the Boone County Public Library system. Walton currently has a location at 21 S. Main St., but building a new Walton library location is first on the list of the 20-year vision for the library system, according to the master plan that looks from 2020 all the way to 2040.
The new location will be on 5.6 acres at the intersection of Towne Center Road and Service Drive, near the Kroger in Walton. Library Executive Director Carrie Herrmann said the current Walton library location is 6,000 square feet and landlocked. She said it’s small and without the features the community wants.
Walton library as it is now features a conference room that will fit “15 to 20 people, and that’s if you want to be really close and friendly,” Herrmann said.
“It needs to be larger to serve the needs of the southern portion of Boone County, which is seeing growth right now,” Herrmann said.
In 2019, Boone County Library signed a contract with MSR, a Minneapolis-based company of architects, to do a facilities master plan. They looked at whether current branches of the library were in the right locations, the right size, offering the right services, and if not, to see what needs to be done in order for the library to meet the needs of the community.
That study indicated Walton as the first priority, Herrmann said. The master plan has been made publicly available on the Boone County Public Library website, bcpl.org, under the “about us” section.
Herrmann said $12.5 million is planned for the new location, which will include a creative maker’s space for the public, an area to hold cooking and fitness classes, and an outdoor venue for events. Two public hearings were held to see what the community was looking for in its library, and Herrmann said some of the suggestions have been included in the design.
The building will also have solar panels as well as geothermal capabilities, which Herrmann said will save the county money on its utility bills.
The exterior will feature a modern design, straying from the classic look seen in the Boone County Public Library’s Burlington branch. Herrmann said this library will model the Hebron location in many ways.
The library may put the project out to bid before the end of the year. If not, a proposal will have to be presented to the Boone County Fiscal Court for approval, due to a new law that takes effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Senate Bill 167 requires library boards to seek fiscal court approval for capital projects exceeding $1 million.