New Library Opens, New City Hall
On The Way

WYOMING — The new Wyoming Public Library opened today, Jan. 7, at 3350 Michael Ave. on an 11-acre site just south of 32nd Street. The project was a mix of renovation and expansion, cost $7.5 million and took about 17 months to complete.

Remodeling work on the former 17,500-square-foot library began in August 2000. An expansion added more than 30,000 square feet to the new multi-purpose facility.

Frye, Gillan & Molinario, a Chicago architectural firm, designed the project, which was partly paid for by a special millage approved by Wyoming voters in 1999.

Besides a massive book collection, the new library also offers 30 computer stations with Internet access. The building has been sectioned off for specific purposes for certain groups. For businesses, the library has a 450-square-foot meeting room that seats 200. The room also has a stage and has been wired for sound. A coffee shop and art gallery also are on site, as are rooms for children and high school students.

Several sizes of geometric windows and colored ceramic tiles mark the building’s long exterior wall, which is flanked by a waterfall.

The library is the latest in a series of new building projects to be completed in Wyoming. In just the past five years, Wyoming has built three new fire department houses, remodeled and expanded another fire station, and built a state-of-the-art police facility, along with the library.

City officials also held a groundbreaking ceremony in October for a new City Hall. The building will have 39,820 square feet on two stories and will be completely handicapped accessible. All major city departments will be situated on the first floor, including the Parks and Recreation Department, which will move from its current 54th Street location.

The building will have a glass and brick exterior and the front lobby will feature floor-to-ceiling windows. In addition, the new Wyoming City Hall will feature a drive-up window that will allow city residents to pay their tax and utility bills without leaving their cars.

The new building is going up in front of the current City Hall at 1155 28th St. SW. When the new structure is finished, the city will demolish the current one and use that site for additional parking.

City personnel are expected to begin moving into the new City Hall next December, and all departments are projected to be in the building by the end of February 2003. The razing of the old City hall is expected to get underway in March 2003, and the entire project should be finished around Memorial Day 2003.