New west side library plan is unique

City staff unveiled a list of potential amenities that will be included in the west side library project, particularly on park land surrounding the new facility. The possibilities are impressive.

Creating a park alongside the new library makes the plan unique.

According to reporting by The Gazette’s Marissa Payne, a portion of the park would be a bioretention area with trees and native plantings. Basketball courts would include space for a condensed version of soccer. During the winter, the courts could be flooded for a skating rink.

Planners hope to improve on traditional splash pads by offering pads that fit the natural landscape, more like a backyard or stream. Outdoor “reading rooms” provide space for outdoor reading.

A “secluded,” rentable pavilion is planned near a playground and restroom facilities, and a “civic forum” feature could be a site for larger events. It could accommodate up to 100 people or possibly 1,000.

Plans include community garden plots accessible by people with disabilities and a “Discovery Garden” with native plantings. Trails in the park would be built to connect other regional trails.

The new library, at the corner of 20th Avenue and Wiley Boulevard SW, will replace the current Ladd Library at 3750 Williams Blvd. SW. The leased space that has housed Ladd since 2013 was meant to be temporary.

These are exciting plans, to be sure. But the library must raise the dollars needed to make the $19 million library plan a reality. The Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation has pledged $2 million along with $4 million from Linn County and $6 million from the city of Cedar Rapids. The county and city used federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the project.

The public phase of the fundraising campaign will be unveiled in January. Community support will be key to covering project costs and making sure planned amenities on paper happen in reality.

“The fact that we're going to get a brand-new building and it's going to be so gorgeous and have so many amenities in addition to it is a big deal,” said City Council member Ashley Vanorny said. “ … It's a really big deal for those neighborhoods, particularly because they specifically with (the 2020) derecho were hit some of the hardest.”

We agree, the new library will be a major asset for the neighborhood and the entire west side. The library plans to seek bids on the project in May with construction set to begin in the late summer. The project will take two years to finish, but from what we’ve seen, it’s worth the wait.

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