This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Library in the Park: Bolingbrook's Newest Local Treasure

96,000-square foot facility culminates 6 years of dreams

Standing behind the podium on the steps of the , Peg Danhof, the library board's president, smiles broadly as she scans the crowd of spectators that gathered to celebrate the library’s launch.

As Danhof spoke about the "seed" of an idea for a new library being planted in 2004 by a small group of residents who formed a citzen’s advocacy committee, her deep and resonant voice periodically cracked.

Danhof exchanged knowing glances with various attendees sprinkled around the room, sniffing away bittersweet tears that pooled around the corners of her eyes.

Find out what's happening in Bolingbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Amid concerns that constructing a new library would send the wrong message during tough economic times, a small group of dedicated volunteers led by the now-deceased Dave Hargett, a former board member, went against the grain.

"That seed finally germinated in 2008, and boy was it a roller coaster ride," Danhoff said. "The initial results of the 2007 referendum campaign were disappointing. Then the tide turned. After all the provisional votes and absentee ballots were counted the referendum passed by 39 votes."

Find out what's happening in Bolingbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That referendum paved the way for $43 million worth of tax dollars to be allocated to the creation of a 96,000-square foot multiuse environmentally friendly facility where residents would be free to find information about nearly every aspect of life they could think of.

The library board of trustees swiftly swung into action, researching and interviewing architects, poring over building plans and feasibility studies that explored the best practices.

"What a journey," said former board secretary Meredith Bromfield. "I was on the committee to screen architects. It was a little scary because people trusted us with their tax dollars. We took our responsibilities very seriously, realizing we were leaving a legacy for generations to come."

Seven architectural firms presented plans and among those, Nagel Hartray Architecture, which had direct experience constructing state-of-the-art library facilities for both Oak Park and Evanston, were chosen.

"Few know how involved this process is," said principal architect Don McKay. "It requires a team of talented individuals and we are so grateful that the board was willing to work so closely with us to bring their vision to life."

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?