Marshall County Public Library to break ground on new Benton facility in early 2018

Photo courtesy of Marshall County Public Library || An architect’s rendering of the new Benton location of the Marshall County Public Library outlines a two-story building with about 30,000 square feet of space, almost double the space available at the current location. Board members hope to break ground on the new facility in early 2018.

Benton residents will soon see a long-standing vision come to fruition downtown, in the lot across from the Children’s Art Center on 12th Street, where the health department once stood.

The Marshall County Public Library board intends to break ground on the new Benton branch in early 2018. MCPL Director Kristi Tucker said architects are wrapping up the design phase of the project and hope to solicit construction bids in January or February. Crews should be able to break ground about a month after the bidding process, Tucker said. CMS Architecture, based in Benton, has been tapped to design and administer the project. Cost of the project has not been determined for certain, Tucker said, though low-end estimates total about $6 million.

“That’s what we’re hoping for, (but) I’ll know more probably in the next few months,” Tucker said. “That’s kind of the stage that we’re at right now. I’ve been talking to the different financing to get the bonding and stuff done. It’s been, I’m going to say, more than six months since I’ve talked to anyone in our area about what the cost per square feet has been running. Hopefully it’s not gone up much. … The good thing is that this has been in our long-range plan for more than 10 years, so we are debt-free right now. And that’s what we’ve been aiming for.”

The planned two-story facility will boast almost double the space of the current branch, with about 30,000 square feet to the 15,500 square feet available at the current location. It’s a slightly different plan than those of the Calvert City and Hardin branches, completed in 2006 and 2010, respectively. Calvert City’s new facility came at a cost of about $1.185 million; the new Hardin building totaled about $1.278 million. Those buildings are similar in design and structure, and both addressed a critical need for additional space. Tucker said Calvert City had previously been leasing space in the basement of Calvert City Hall. Hardin had its own standalone facility but had outgrown the space available in the building.

The same applies in Benton. Tucker said space had become an issue at the Benton location, and it was time to move forward on plans in Benton.

“The only problem with our building now is just lack of space,” Tucker said. “So, some of the things we’re really looking forward to having is No. 1: A bigger meeting space, but we’re also going to include some study rooms, which is something we have requests for all the time and we just don’t have one.”

Other additional features will include a “Makerspace,” which according to Maker Media are just community centers equipped with tools to enable residents to design, prototype and create manufactured works that would otherwise be impossible working alone without the resources. The space provides access to equipment, community and education, “and all are unique in exactly how they are arranged to fit the purposes of the community they serve.”

The new branch will also contain a research room, Tucker said, in which genealogy materials and Kentucky collection material will be kept. A new computer lab with the ability to partition rooms will also be available in the new branch.

Tucker said MCPL asked for feedback from the community when determining what amenities the new location had to offer and board members tried to adhere to the needs identfied. Tucker said location was critical to the decision to build downtown, as well. Initially, MCPL had looked into purchasing adjoining land to simply expand on the existing facility, however Tucker said neighboring property owners were not inclined to sell. Landlocked, MCPL found the property where the Marshall County Health Department once stood would meet the facilities needs.

“We have so many people that walk to the library, that I didn’t want to get away from downtown, because we would lose that and they would lose that service too,” Tucker said. “… So, we’re doing two levels and trying to squeeze as many decent sized parking spots as we can there. … The building is going to be built into the hill there … that’s going to be dug out and the building is going to be built into that. That leaves the better flat part of the land for parking.”

The original Benton branch building was erected in 1970, Tucker said; the library began expansion plans in 1999 at the Benton location, which opened the following year. Tucker said the new Benton location will take about 18 months to complete once construction begins. The Benton branch employs a total of 34 employees – some of those part time and floater positions that move among the branches; 15 of those employees are full-time at the Benton location.

MCPL offers services in children and teen reading programs, as well as adult classes which include computer literacy courses. In addition, each branch of the library offers varying workshops and community education outreach efforts. The library hosts online services as well, including digital archives and resources, ebook availability and fine payment options. For more information about MCPL, visit marshallcolibrary.org.