Progress on new library in Castle Rock
Conceptual rendering of the new Douglas County Libraries – Castle Rock, which is set to open in August.
On a snowy March 16, Douglas County Libraries (DCL) held a “Topping Out” event at the newly constructed building to reveal the progress of what will be a much larger library in Castle Rock. The new facility, set to officially open in August, is being built in front of the current library located at 100 S. Wilcox Street. The existing library is open for business, but will be demolished in May to build a 220-space parking lot. During the transition period, patrons will have to use other DCL locations, and library fees will be waived.
Members of the public and the media, as well as employees of the library and the construction crews, enjoyed a barbecue lunch and tour of the 62,000-square-foot building. The two-story facility will have two main entrances, an indoor-outdoor fireplace, and many large windows throughout to maximize natural light.
“The new library will be 17,000 square feet bigger than the existing building to serve the growing Castle Rock community into the future,” stated Melissa Anciaux, DCL editor and staff writer, in a press release.
The first floor will largely be the children’s space with a playscape and a storytime room. A door will lead to an exterior space with a small amphitheater for outdoor storytime and other activities. The event hall, which should accommodate more than 600 guests, is also on the first floor.
Private areas will be built on both floors. “A big drive for DCL is to have study rooms, so we are building 13 spaces for breakout meetings, tutoring spaces, and all the things the library supports,” said Jeff Fransen, Project Executive of Fransen Pittman Construction. “This is double, and in some cases triple, the study rooms from most of the other library branches.”
The second floor will house the adult book stacks, and it will also have large and small conference rooms and a designated area for book signings, private events and an archive viewing room. Both floors will have public restrooms and allow for staff offices.
Pittman explained that the library will be xeriscaped with ornamental grasses that don’t require a lot of water.
Construction crews from Fransen Pittman take a break for lunch during the recent “Topping Out” media event.
The book drops will be at the entrance of the library as well as at a drive-through, dropoff location on the south side of the building.
DCL’s capital savings fund is the funding source for the build.
For more information, visit dcl.org/build.
By Hollen Wheeler; photos by Terri Wiebold and courtesy of DCL
