Canal Winchester to get new branch of Columbus library

1 of 4 building projects announced recently

The Columbus Metropolitan Library embarked on a partnership with the city of Canal Winchester and the school district in 2016.

Since then, the library’s express branch has occupied 5,400 square feet of a former high school gymnasium on Franklin Street for $1 per year.

Now the library is searching for a new branch location in Canal Winchester, which could open in “the next few years,” library spokesman Ben Zenitsky said May 4.

“We are going to build a 21st-century, state-of-the-art library, about 30,000 square feet, and it will incorporate all of our themes: iconic design, natural sunlight and community gathering,” Zenitsky said. “There will be a school help center and a space for teens, a quiet study space and more meeting rooms.”

The library’s board of trustees recently announced four building projects, including:

• Canal Winchester (new site) • Marion-franklin (new site) • Barnett branch, 3434 E. Livingston Ave., Columbus (renovation and expansion)

• Linden branch, 2223 Cleveland Ave., Columbus (renovation and expansion)

Bostwick Design Partnership will design the Canal Winchester branch.

The four projects represent a continuation of the second phase of CML’S 2020 Vision Plan, which was developed in 2009 to address and prioritize the needs of its aging locations and the evolving community demands upon them, according to a news release announcing the projects.

The first phase renovated or rebuilt 10 of CML’S 23 locations, including its main library.

The second phase is renovating or rebuilding four additional branches.

The new Karl Road Branch and transformed Hilltop Branch opened in 2021. The new Gahanna Branch is scheduled to open in 2023, and the new Reynoldsburg Branch is scheduled to open in 2023 or 2024. editorial@thisweeknews.com @Thisweeknews