After two years of waiting in approximately 8,500 storage boxes, the books of the Central Arkansas Library System’s Main Library are set to return to shelves Sept. 20. But the library will be offering much more than books after undergoing renovations.
The library branch, located in a former hardware warehouse in the River Market District, initially opened Sept. 20, 1997, and has since served as CALS’ flagship location. The renovations bring a host of new amenities to downtown Little Rock.
The project is expected to come in on budget at a cost of $31.5 million. It was funded by a 2021 millage increase, which has netted about $40 million for CALS. About $10 million of that has been spent on operational needs of other branches. The remaining funds along with a capital campaign made up the budget for the Main Library’s renovation, said CALS Executive Director Nate Coulter.
CDI Contractors of Little Rock won the contract for the project. Its work on other publicly-owned and small footprint projects made the company an attractive general contractor, Coulter said.
“CDI has earned a reputation of being selected for one-of-a-kind, very unique, very difficult projects,” said Jonathan Semans, executive vice president and chief operating officer at CDI Contractors. The company is able to deliver difficult projects on budget through “precise planning” and “precise movements,” he said.
The renovation has left the physical footprint of the 160,338-SF library mostly unchanged, but it has created more usable space. The lower level of the building, previously only open to the public during CALS’ used book sales, will now serve as a public computer lab. Additionally, the building’s rooftop will be patio space and will provide the public with an open air view of downtown Little Rock. The rooftop and the lower level add up to almost 30,000-SF that will be newly accessible to the public.
Constrained by the low ceilings and many structural columns of the former warehouse, the renovation aimed to add more natural light to the library, give it a more airy feel and make it easier to navigate, said Tameka Lee, CALS’ chief communications and engagement officer.
A Boulevard Bread Co. cafe is coming to the ground level of the library and will sit near the new children’s area. The levels are now themed according to age group. The second floor is the teen section, complete with study rooms and a makerspace fitted with 3D printers.
Overall, there is a 69% increase in space allocated for children, teens and families. The fifth floor is dedicated to adult programming and features meeting rooms, gallery walls for local artists and a 160-seat banquet hall. Other new library offerings will include podcast and production studios as well as teaching kitchens.
According to CALS data, library attendance has recovered but is still below pre-pandemic levels. Coulter said he expects an uptick after the reopening and that this investment shows the impact of the library in the community.
“It’s important in my view to have a library at the heart of the city that reflects the city’s commitment to the mission of a library. That mission is about education and access and about stories for the whole community,” he said. “Little Rock deserves as nice of a library for its community as possible.”
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