Library levy would fund expansion

Avon voters will decide March 17 whether they will support doubling the size of the Lorain Public Library System Avon Branch with a 2-mill levy.

The estimated $9 million project would increase the facility’s current size at 37485 Harvest Drive to 25,000 square feet, by adding 14,000 to 15,000 square feet with a dedicated teen space, interactive children’s play area and story time room along with an open café and reading garden.

The expansion also would include a drive-up service window with the existing structure getting a new metal roof.

The branch’s collection space would be doubled, bringing the capacity to have expanded materials available for library patrons.

In developing the design concept for the proposal, architect Aaron Hill of Bialosky Cleveland Architects said Feb. 3 the project would re-imagine the space and draw on the city’s agricultural roots.

“When we asked people what resonates with you as uniquely Avon, what they heard most consistently was the agricultural history of this community with imagery such as the farmhouse and greenhouse,” Hill said. “So, we wanted to implement those aspects into the design of this building.”

The interior of the new structure will be an open-concept allowing for flexibility as Avon’s needs evolve, he said.

Hill said the design gives “more bang for the buck” when compared to the old model of libraries where everything was designed more rigidly and specific for each room.

In the 25 years since the branch’s construction, the city of Avon has more than doubled in size.

The Library System is making the case for a larger facility to meet the present and future needs of the community.

Anastasia Diamond Ortiz, CEO of the Lorain Public Library System, said in gathering feedback from residents through surveys and public forums, the desire for a larger branch is evident.

If approved by voters, the levy would raise $1,902,617 annually and would cost taxpayers $70 annually per $100,000 home valuation, according to the Lorain County Auditor’s Office.

The current 1.2-mill operating levy is set to expire at the end of 2021.