The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) is pushing back the reopening of the renovated Main Library branch in downtown Little Rock, Executive Director Nate Coulter said Monday in a letter to library stakeholders.
CALS had been planning to reopen its flagship location on Sept. 20 after a two-year, $31.5 million project to bring new amenities to the library. The system now plans to resume services at the Main Library on Sept. 29, with a reopening celebration pushed to Oct. 4.
In the letter, Coulter said the reopening was rescheduled after construction manager CDI Contractors LLC of Little Rock “informed me that they cannot deliver on their assurances that the building would be ready for the public” by Sept. 20.
“While it’s disappointing to reschedule, our commitment to a festive and memorable celebration remains unchanged,” he said.
The reopening celebration will include games, crafts, food trucks, music and more. The new date coincides with the biggest day of the annual Six Bridges Book Festival.
The renovation 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.
The library branch, located in a former hardware warehouse in the River Market District, initially opened Sept. 20, 1997.
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