Share
Mecklenburg County could get eight new library branches, while all existing facilities may be expanded, renovated or replaced by 2032, under a long-term construction plan.
Among other things, the plan could rebuild the University City branch, which has no room to expand at its present location, and add a library in Pineville.
The plan, estimated to cost about $291million, is in its draft form and could change before it is adopted by library trustees and county commissioners. Officials from both sides discussed it at a meeting Tuesday.
Library Director Charles Brown said the master plan originally was intended to cover construction projects needed over 15 years. But as the county has slowed its construction spending, Brown said the master plan is now a 20-year effort.
The county now has 24 library branches, with more than 17,000 visitors daily, officials said. They expect population growth to soar near its facilities in the future, including 62 percent in east Mecklenburg near the Independence branch and about 117.5 percent in Davidson and Cornelius.
Brown said studies showed there was a need for much larger branches, with amenities like more meeting spaces, lounge areas and study rooms.
The plan also calls for adding self-service units along transit corridors, such as light rail stops.
Laura Isenstein, a consultant working with library officials, said the goal is to make sure every resident has access to library services within a 10- or 15-minute travel distance.
More than $93million in public and private money has been spent on library construction projects since 1985.
Some county commissioners have asked the library to consider more joint-use facilities with groups like Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, or to look at leasing space instead of building branches.
Brown said there are plusses and minuses to both approaches. For example, he said joint projects with schools often don't work because libraries should be built in high-traffic areas that may not be the best place for a school.
Other questions raised by commissioners included asking why the plan didn't appear to include more projects in northwest Mecklenburg. Isenstein said the location of branches could change based on future development.
Library officials are working on a separate plan to revamp the main branch uptown.
