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New Canfield Library plans unveiled
By ABBY SLANKER
Plans have been in the works for several years for the new Canfield library branch, and Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County recently unveiled the design and floor plan for the new library. Library Executive Director Heidi M. Daniel and architect Ronald Cornell Faniro, of Faniro Architects Inc., of Youngstown, presented the plans.
The new branch will be located on the same site as the current Canfield Library, located at 43 W. Main St., and the current library building will be demolished.
The new library will be 18,135 square feet, while the current Canfield Library, built in 1969, is 5,104 square feet. Cost of the building project, including construction, furnishings, landscaping, site work, and more, is estimated at $4.9 million.
If all goes according to schedule, the library expects to break ground on this project in late summer or early fall this year.
Daniel pointed out the Canfield library project has been in the works for more than a decade and the library Board of Trustees has been saving money for this project. The library operates debt-free and pays for projects without bond issues or loans, which are costly.
“We are very excited about this design and feel it will blend in well with the community and the library’s surroundings. We asked for the community’s thoughts in many community conversations which have taken place over the past several years and are pleased that we were able to say ‘yes’ to much of the input we received. We wanted to capture what was most important to the community and I believe this design does just that,” Daniel said.
The new design includes a multi-purpose meeting room, a community living room area and an adult area small meeting room, as well as a site plan that should assist with supporting activities and businesses near the community green.
“Of course, this library will have areas and collections for adults, teens and children, as well as computers and the latest technology,” Daniel said.
Faniro was thoughtful and deliberate in creating the design, with the look and feel of the community always in mind.
“I drove around neighborhoods to acquaint myself with the community and made observations to inspire the design. We went to great lengths to present a face on Main Street that would blend in with the current scale of the existing streetscape, and to create a building with character and with spaces that could be used in different ways for both the Library and the community-at-large,” Faniro said.
The library is partnering with Mill Creek MetroParks on a temporary location, which will be available while the library branch is closed for construction.
The library will also have a capital campaign in conjunction with this project. The goal is $500,000.